Infinity
by raining-down-hearts
Summary: (Takes place after original anime, before 'Final Act'.) Inuyasha and Kagome may have finally destroyed Naraku, but they find their journey is nowhere near over. They struggle to survive in a warring world as rumors of rogue dragons and angry gods come from the west, along with ferocious new demons. Among these new troubles, what sort of relationship can the star-crossed two have?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing, no one, no where, just my story.

This was posted a long time ago under a different name somewhere else; I found it again and am in the process of finishing it up/refurbishing the storyline. Hope you like.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed. "Look out!"

The scene was one of massive destruction. Smoke rose from the cracked earth, the metallic smell of blood was thick in the air, and sparks whirled upward from blackened huts. Facing each other, firelight flickering off their faces, stood Naraku and Inuyasha. Inuyasha was wounded and exhausted, one ear torn almost off and his fire-rat full of rips and tears. Kagome was crouched over Sango and Miroku, who'd been knocked unconscious by Naraku's last attack. He had only a single shard left, and Inuyasha was determined to take it and finally destroy him.

They had managed, by a combination of sheer luck and ferocious teamwork, to kill the pale infant who was Naraku's heart a few weeks before. If the evil hanyou died now, Kagome knew, it would be final. She was shaking from a combination of fear, anticipation and exhaustion. Kirara nuzzled her friend anxiously. Kagome glanced anxiously at Sango, lying her down gently and scooping up her bow and arrow. "Shippou! Keep an eye on them, ok?"

Shippou was crying. "O-okay, Kagome. Be careful!"

She was already off, dashing between rocks to get closer to the duelists. The shard was glowing darkly from Naraku's hand. Kagome, crouched behind a small hillock, bit her lip in terror as Inuyasha swayed on his feet. His golden eyes narrowed as the Tetsusaiga began to pulse. Kagome set an arrow to her string, wrenched back, and let fire, feeling power thrum through her arm as the missile flew straight for Naraku. He turned, surprised, as his barrier disappeared- just in time for him to be hit by Inuyasha's Adamant Barrage. Huge diamond spikes shredded his body, and his maroon eyes turned to Inuyasha for one last, awful moment, full of shock.

Kagome stood up, one hand to her mouth. _Oh my gosh! _she thought. _He- he- Naraku's finally gone? This is unbelievable! We did it!_ She waited with bated breath- Naraku had regenerated after being blown to shreds so many times before that she could barely believe the uneventful seconds ticking by. She heard a meaty thump as Inuyasha collapsed. "Inuyasha!" she shrieked and ran to him, cradling his head in her lap. He opened one eye blearily.

"Kagome? Did I get him?" She nodded mutely. He smiled. "Good." Then he pushed himself upright again, eyes focused beyond her. "Kikyo?" Kagome gave a little gasp. _Oh, now she decides to come out?_ She turned to see the beautiful, dead priestess walking sedately towards them. Inuyasha eyed her. "Kikyo…" he said softly. She smiled at him.

"So, Inuyasha. You've finally killed your enemy, and now you have the whole jewel." Kagome winced. _Ooh, yeah, I probably should have grabbed that last piece of the jewel... _Kikyo tossed Kagome Naraku's shard. "What will you do now, I wonder?" Kagome looked from the priestess to the hanyou. Their eyes were locked, Inuyasha's lambent with some hidden emotion. To Kagome's surprise, Kikyo's cheeks were shiny with tears. The moment went on and on…

Then Kikyo gave a sharp cry and a jerk before crumpling to the ground. Behind her stood Kagura, her fan spread and features contorted with rage, before slowly dissolving into the wind. Her maker was dead, and now so was she. Inuyasha gave a high yelp as he scrambled over to his first love. "Kikyo! KIKYO!" Kagome stood in shock, watching a gigantic pool of blood spread around Kikyo. She felt the pieces of her soul that had been inside the undead priestess flow back into her, a comfortably warm change, and started sobbing. _Kikyo's dead! It's all our fault, we were being so careless! How could this happen? Inuyasha…_

She felt a gentle hand around her and a soft furry face buried in her leg, as Sango held her and Shippou sniffled. "K-Kagome, Sango's awake now, and I think Miroku's going to be okay too. But is that Kikyo? Is she- is she dead?" Kagome nodded into Sango's shoulder.

"Oh, Sango, I can't believe this! Kikyo's always been around, and Inuyasha…"

Sango looked at her friend in sorrow. "I know, Kagome."

Inuyasha was holding Kikyo's body tight, his blood mixing with hers, when she crumbled into dirt. His howl was heard for miles.

Kagome sat on the steps of the hut the group was staying in to heal- all except Inuyasha. She put her head in her hands. _Where's Inuyasha? He just took off after Kikyo died, and he was hurt so bad. I know he heals, but I've never seen him so badly injured. He's been gone for almost three days now. I'm so worried about him… _She played absently with Kirara's ears. Miroku was lying down inside, having suffered a severe concussion, while Sango miraculously had only a few cuts and bruises. They were all worried about Inuyasha, but Sango had advised Kagome that for once, she shouldn't try to find him. He was more full of grief and hurt than he'd ever been, and wanted to be alone for a reason. _Be that as it may, I'm going to try and find him if he's not back soon,_ Kagome decided. She stiffened and glanced over as a twig snapped, only to see- _Inuyasha!_ He looked awful, dirty and bloody and weak, but Kagome almost fainted from relief. She ran towards him with a glad cry, but he didn't look at her. He just twitched his good ear and limped past her into the hut without a backward glance.

Kagome stared at him for a second, her mouth open. _Inuyasha just walked right by me! Is he- mad at me for something? No, he's upset about Kikyo still, duh. Poor Inuyasha- I hate it, but he did love her, and she died. How would I feel if Inuyasha died?_ She followed him inside. He was slumped against a wall, fiddling with the sleeve of his fire-rat while Sango started to clean his wounds.

"I don't know what we'll do about this ear, it's already starting to heal, but... I'll have to wrap it up," she was telling him. He just shrugged, and Kagome's throat tightened at the sight of the adorable ears she loved so much, drooping like bloody dishrags.

_Well, he'll open up when he's ready, I guess. I know we all miss Kikyo a lot, _Kagome thought sadly. _I might as well make myself useful. _She went outside and grabbed a few sticks of firewood, setting a pot of water to boil for some ramen. She had to look away as Sango lugged a jug of sake out of the corner- the best thing they had to clean Inuyasha's ear- and then tied it up, flushing it with some spring water. When the ramen was done, Kagome silently carried it over to Inuyasha. He took it without a word or a glance, causing Sango and Miroku to exchange a concerned look. Kagome, pained, immediately went to her sleeping bad and curled up as the light grew dimmer, drifting off at last when Shippou came to steal some warmth. Her dreams were troubled and she tossed and sweated all night.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing, no one, etc etc.

Inuyasha stared into the glowing coals, his ear a distant throbbing and his whole body sore. He felt unbelievably numb. He'd been in the mountains, walking and remembering for the past few days. _I always thought Kikyo would be there… Everything we went through, I just... Dammit! I swore I would protect her! I failed… and right after I killed Naraku… I miss her so much, I've never hurt like this before. _He buried his head in his hands, then looked up at the sound of Miroku sitting up. The men looked at each other.

"What?" snarled Inuyasha, his first word since coming back.

Miroku shrugged a little. "Are you all right?" Inuyasha snorted. The two were like brothers after spending so much time together, and yet Miroku had learned that although Inuyasha trusted him with his life, his emotions were another matter. The monk held up his hand. "My wind tunnel's gone."

"That's good," said Inuyasha indistinctly.

"Yes. You've no idea how relieved I am," Miroku smiled. Inuyasha was happy for his friend- he knew what a terrible curse that wind tunnel had been- but he was still grieving and knew he would be for a long time, as did Miroku. "Sango's having a hard time, though. She's still grieving for Kohaku." Inuyasha winced. That had been a horrible fight, ending with Kohaku jumping off a cliff so as not to be forced to kill his sister. Miroku was smiling a little. "I can't believe we killed Naraku at last, finally, for real. It's been almost two years tomorrow, since I joined you and Kagome. It just feels like we've been chasing him our entire lives." Inuyasha gave a short laugh.

"Yeah, it does feel like forever, huh."

His newly wind-tunnel-less companion leaned over to grab the jug of sake, taking a deep swig. He held it out to Inuyasha. "Would you like some? I've found it helpful in times like this." Inuyasha stared at it for a second. _Stupid monk… Although that may not be a bad idea, actually, anything must be better than feeling like this._ He grabbed it and gulped. Miroku waved a hand, laughing a little. "Slow down, Inuyasha!...Save some for me!"

Inuyasha took another drink and handed it back to him.

Kagome awoke to the sound of a crash. "Aah! Whassgoinonsamattar?" she yelled, rubbing her eyes as she leapt to her feet. She looked around wildly. Waking up quickly had never been her strong point. Sango poked her.

"It's _those_ two," the dark-eyed demon slayer said disgustedly, lips pursed. Kagome yawned, reassured, then did a double take. Miroku had planted his staff on the floor and was swinging around it like a maypole, waving his newly healed hand through the air and half-singing something that would probably be filthy, if the girls could understand it. Shippou was hiding behind Kirara, staring at Miroku with big eyes. _Oh my god! He's drunk! He's completely blind drunk_! _But… where's Inuyasha?_ "We should kill them," said Sango loudly, advancing on her oblivious fiance. "We should kill them. Slowly. Kagome? Hey, stop that! Let go!" Miroku staggered back with her handprint on his face. Kagome had run outside, looking for the hanyou.

She saw him perched in one of the lower branches of a cherry tree, eyes closed and ears flicking madly. He was swaying dangerously. She dashed over to the base of the tree, shivering in the cold morning air. "Inuyasha! Come down, you're going to fall!" Inuyasha jumped in surprise, missed his footing, and hit the ground like a rock. He opened his eyes fuzzily to see Kagome standing over him, eyes wide and hands on her hips. "You're drunk!" she said loudly. "How could you do this? I know you're upset but drinking is a gateway to drugs, I learned that in Health! And you're going to have one wicked hangover in the morning, and guess who'll have to take care of you…aah! _Sit_!" she shouted, looking down midway through her scolding to see him with his hands behind his head, happily staring up the skirt she hadn't bothered to change out of last night, humming to himself. "Grrr, you're going to get a piece of my mind once you sober up, Inuyasha!" She hauled him by one arm out of the man-shaped crater he'd made, slinging one of his arms around her shoulder and dragging him toward the hut.

Inuyasha ground to a stop, blinking furiously. "Mmm… Hey! I thou' you were gone fer ever. Ohh, Kikyo, I miss you _soo_ much." Kagome's mouth opened in shock. _Excuse me? Kikyo? This is really just going too far! _Inuyasha's eyes were actually welling up with tears as he threw an arm around her waist and pulled her tight. She froze, a fiery blush spreading across her cheeks. She could count on one hand the times he'd hugged her, and each time she was left shivering and speechless.

"Uhh… Inuyasha?" she said timidly. "Kagome here?"

He pulled her tighter, burying his face in her hair. "Ohhh, Kikyo, I'm soo sorry, iss all my fault you died! I was s'posed to pertect you and I didn't and I'm so sorry…" Kagome pulled away, and Inuyasha looked at her with teary glassy eyes. She stared at him, disgusted, while liking his big hands around her waist and feeling like a pervert for it. _He's drunk, Kagome! Remember that!_ She started to say something, and Inuyasha promptly planted a deep kiss in the general area of her lips, ignoring her muffled shrieks and squirming.

_Oh my god! He did not just kiss me! Yes he did. But only because he thought I was Kikyo. He's always wanted Kikyo, not me! He's told me that before, he promised to follow her to hell rather than be with me. Oh , god…_ Kagome felt as though her heart was being shredded. She had wanted this for so very long, and now it happened when Inuyasha was drunk and delusional. She pulled away with a violent wrench, sobbing. She looked at him for a second, tears streaming down her cheeks, then swerved off into the woods.

Inuyasha stumbled toward the hut, one hand on his injured ear. "Kikyo? Kikyo, I miss you, but ther's sumpin I gotta tell you, I can't go ta hell wi' you, I have to- to pertect Kagome now, she needs me and I need… Kikyo?" He tripped and fell, falling asleep almost instantly. In the door way to the hut, Sango stood, aghast, holding a mumbling Miroku by one ear. "Kagome!" she shouted.

"You're much more be-yoo-tiful than her, my dearest," slurred the monk.

"Oh, gods, she's gone. Kirara! Go find her, please. I have to dump these two down the nearest well or something," she said grimly, rubbing her temple. Shippou let go of Kirara's comforting fur reluctantly as she transformed and flew off over the forest.

"Um, Sango? Are they possessed by demons or something?" he said worriedly.

She laughed a little, hauling a sleeping Inuyasha up into the hut. "No, they just had a little too much sake. They'll be back to normal after a good sleep, although they'll be very grumpy when they wake up."

"Because their heads will hurt?"

"Yes…Among any other body parts I can get my hands on," Sango growled.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing at all. Enjoy!

Kagome was huddled in a small cave beneath the roots of a tree, sobbing quietly, her eyes swollen and her uniform ripped from her run through the woods. While the cave reminded her uncomfortably of the time Kohaku had tried to kill her under Naraku's control, she knew that Inuyasha or Kirara wouldn't be able to find her here. The tree was ringed by large patches of strong-smelling lemon mint. She couldn't face any of them right now. _I always knew Inuyasha wanted Kikyo,_ she thought in pain. _But I still always hoped maybe… I've never met anybody who makes me feel like Inuyasha does. He's always so harsh and mean, but really to me, when we're alone, he's totally different. He protects me against anything- he is always, always there, but... then this? He has the shard.. will he even want me to stay around now?_

She buried her stinging eyes in her folded arms, pressing her back against the cold earth and watching twilight slowly fall outside. _I guess now that Naraku's been defeated Inuyasha won't need me to search for the shards anymore. I wonder if he'll really do it- become a full demon now? I suppose- I suppose I had better go back home. For good… After all, I've only got one more year of high school, and then maybe college… _

She gave a tiny whimper, a fresh batch of tears sliding down her face. As she lay down on her side, wriggling to get comfortable, memories of Inuyasha flashed through her mind. Holding him, feet bathed in acid, inside the belly of a great stone demon as his eyes burned red… his arms around her tight and his breath on her neck, before shoving her into the well… his richly amber eyes staring into hers with a smile on his face…holding her hand gently in his… those few treasured moments of almost-togetherness.

Kagome hit herself in the forehead, curling her toes. _Stop it already!_ she told herself. She was so busy arguing inside her head that she didn't notice the shadow flicker in front of the entrance to the cave.

The demon had been watching the strangely (but very alluringly) dressed girl for a while now. He'd heard her tears, dismissed them as one of those strange things humans sometimes did, more distracted by her scent. It was so delicious and varied, indulgent notes of hot mortal skin mixed with a deeper, musky tone. That awful mint was hiding most of it, but by creeping closer, he could get a good whiff. He inhaled it, green eyes shutting briefly in bliss. He just _had _to have this one! He would wait until she was distracted before taking her- and, there, she was obviously having some internal struggle, muttering something to herself.

He was inside the tiny cavern in a flash, one arm around Kagome's waist, before speeding away again. She was taken so aback that it took her a full three seconds to begin screaming and fighting. "Put me _down_! Let _go_ of me!" she shrieked, landing a respectable right hook to her kidnapper's jaw. It didn't faze him. Then, wind through her hair, and stars- _Gods, we're flying! W-Who is this demon? Why's he taken me? And he's not even trying to stop me yelling! _Kagome's throat was bone dry in terror and shock.

She took a good look at the guy carrying her, knowing if she managed to wriggle free now she'd only fall to a very probable death in the forest canopy far below. It was a struggle to overcome her instincts and adrenaline, telling her to _get away at all costs_ from this threat. Her captor appeared very humanlike, though very large and muscular. His eyes were almond and a deep forest green, his shoulder-length hair wild and auburn red, tied back roughly. He was most certainly a demon, however; gigantic feathery wings were beating the air in huge strokes, though as she looked closer they appeared to be covered in leaves. A jagged streak of black skin went crossed his face, and his hands sported large claws and- Kagome gulped, trembling- an extra digit on each. He turned his head towards her, giving a satisfied smirk and revealing small boarlike tusks. She shuddered and kept on screaming her head off, wishing with every inch that she had her bow. _What was I thinking, going off alone and weaponless in the forest! I'm such an idiot, no wonder Inuyasha wants Kikyo! Okay, okay, calm down, Kagome, think, think! _

She swallowed hard, her heart thundering, feeling her legs dangling uncomfortably in empty space. "Where are you taking me?" she shouted over the rush of the wind. The demon laughed a little, sounding like grating stones.

"You're mine now, darling, I decided you're too delectable to just leave all alone in that big forest," he drawled. "I'm Tsubasa. You are…?"

"If I tell you will you let me go?"

He held her more tightly, his claws digging sharply into her ribs. "Not a chance." Kagome yelped in pain, pounding on him again with clenched fists, finally resorting to biting him on the shoulder. Her teeth felt like they were hitting rock, and Tsubasa gave that grinding laugh again.

"Little wildcat, aren't you, especially for a mortal. I think this will be a very fun winter indeed!" Kagome stared at him in dawning horror, her throat hoarse from crying and screaming. "Ah, here we are. My home, your home for a while, until I tire of you." He folded his wings against his back, setting down gently on the edge of a large plateau, high on a mountain. A large archway set with a huge iron door led inside the mountain. He dropped Kagome rudely on her rump, striding toward the doorway. She scrambled to her feet and sprinted to the edge of the cliff- only to skid to a stop, jaw slack in dismay. She was staring out over the forest from what seemed like miles above it, with a straight shale wall in all directions and absolutely no possible way up or down. She doubted even Inuyasha could climb this wall.

Kagome stood, shaking, a sick roiling in her stomach, until a large hand roughly plucked her up by the back of her uniform. Tsubasa carried her, choking and flailing, inside the door, tossing her down inside before turning to bolt the great door. She scuttled to the nearest wall she could find, groping with one hand for something, anything- _Preferably really really sharp! _She found nothing.

Tsubasa walked toward her slowly. His eyes were luminous in the dimly lit cavern. She could tell out of the corner of her eye that it was large, probably multi-chambered, and full of clutter in every corner. As the demon got nearer, Kagome felt a strange lassitude stealing over her, keeping her from fighting. She slowed her retreat, finally standing still in front of the winged demon. His eyes were glowing now, marvelous shades of green and gold and black in mesmerizing swirls, larger and larger, until Kagome couldn't look away. She didn't _want_ to look away; those eyes were so beautiful, she felt like she could happily gaze into them forever.

Tsubasa flared his wings, giving a smirk as his new conquest's face glazed over. She was definitely a fine specimen, if a bit short, he thought as he put a hand under her chin to appraise her, turning her face this way and that. Flawless ivory skin, full pink lips, large velvety eyes and some very fine legs indeed. Perfect indeed for his collection! A little tweaking, some work here and there, and she might even be the very best! And that scent was simply intoxicating. He'd have to leave her in her present state for a while longer, just to be able to inhale that whenever he wanted.

None of his other specimens had ever left his home, and neither would this one. Tsubasa's slow smile revealed his fangs, gleaming and terribly, terribly sharp. "Are you ready to tell me your name, sweet thing?"

Kagome's smile was slow like syrup. "Kagome… My name is Kagome."


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I own nothing. :)

Inuyasha was awake, but very carefully was not opening his eyes to the early morning sunlight. He slowly reached one hand up to his head, trying to move as little as possible. Everything seemed intact, cranium-wise. _What the hell? I feel like I got kicked in the teeth or something. _Then he remembered- the monk and his damned sake. Inuyasha gave a weak growl. "Oh, it's gooood for you. Oh, it'll heeeeeelp," he muttered, mimicking Miroku furiously. 'Idiot!" He braced him self an inch at a time, preparing to sit up, and opened his eyes- only to be confronted with the apocalyptic sight of Sango's raging face. He let out an involuntary whimper, shutting his eyes immediately, feeling the world sway.

She grabbed his shoulder, hauled him upright, and proceeded to shake him, making that awful swaying even worse. He grabbed his stomach and clapped one hand over his mouth. "You absolute, unbelievable, disgusting fool! You go and listen to Miroku- that's something you should almost _never_ do- get blind drunk, and then you _kiss Kagome_!"

Inuyusha tensed, pushing her hand off his shoulder roughly. He squinted at her in horror. "I did what?"

She folded her arms and sat back, scowling at him. "Yes, you kissed her! But then you know what you did, Inuyasha, after you kissed her?"

He gulped. "Uh- what? Are you sure I kissed her, Sango, cuz I really don't-"

"You called her Kikyo."

The words dropped on Inuyasha like bombs. He slumped forward, groaning. "I called her Kikyo? I called her Kikyo. Oh, gods, I'm such a bastard!" The hanyou pounded a fist on the floor. "She's never going to look at me again! Sango, where is she? Did she go back home?" Sango hesitated, then shook her head. "Well, where is she then, dammit?"

"She- well, she ran away after you did that, off into the woods. I had to take care of you two, so I sent Kirara after her."

Inuyasha let out a huge sigh of relief. "So- where is she?"

"Kirara _just_ got back- she couldn't find her anywhere. Her scent just… stopped." Inuyasha's jaw slowly dropped and his ears were laid tight against his head.

"She's gone? Alone? In the forest? At night?" he yelped, voice rising progressively on each word until he was thundering in Sango's face. 'Kagome's lost?" Over in the corner, Miroku gave a loud, heartfelt moan of pain. Inuyasha's wide eyes stared at Sango for a moment, filled with terror, then he snatched Tetsusaiga and was away so fast he blurred.

Sango clutched her head. "I should have gone after her myself and left these two fools here! Kagome had better be all right, it's my fault if she's not… But I'm sure she's just hiding from Inuyasha somewhere. Poor Kagome, she must be heartbroken." She turned viciously at Miroku's whines. "Don't think I've forgotten about _your_ part in all of this, monk!"

Inuyasha circled, nose to the dirt, until he picked up Kagome's scent under a cherry tree, heading south-west into the forest. He followed it as quickly as he could, putting to use all the methods of tracking he'd learned over the years. _Kagome, I'm so, so sorry. But did you have to run off in the and get lost?! _He sneezed after inadvertently whiffing a pungent tiny skunk cabbage. _You had better be all right, stupid girl…_

Damn, she'd run quite a ways. He took another deep sniff and gasped, eyes watering. There was a gigantic patch of lemon mint in front of him, surrounding the trunk of a huge old tree. Kagome's scent had simply stopped, just as Kirara had reported. Inuyasha knew his nose was a fair bit better than hers, though, and gods knew he could pick Kagome's scent out of a crowd, he'd breathed it in enough when she wasn't paying attention. He kept going, forcing himself to go through the mint, until something caught his eye. There was a cave under that tree.

_And Kagome would have known that would be the perfect place to not be found, with this godsawful mint in the air._ He bit his lip. _She's definitely in there- and she's hiding from me._

The hanyou started to crawl into the tiny cave, then stopped. He was definitely picking up her scent- that luscious, clean human scent- but there was something else in the air. He sat on his heels and opened his mouth a bit to get a better reading. _Kagome… tears…_ he winced_…and a- a demon? Or a man?_ He looked down, seeing the signs now, a broken twig, a crushed patch of grass- someone had sat right where he was now! Watching Kagome!

Inuyasha burst into the cave, and stopped, golden eyes glowing with fear. Kagome was gone, but there was a tiny green shred from her skirt lying on the ground, tangled among the roots. He bent down and picked up the piece of fabric between his claws, oh so gently, eyeing the single clawed footprint left in the dirt with murder in his eyes.

He crawled back out, tucking the scrap of skirt into his belt as he leapt to the treetops. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouted Kagome's name, over and over. Birds flew up from the forest around him, cawing.

A few miles away, and a mountain higher, Tsubasa's keen eyes noticed the birds come bursting out of the forest canopy. He smiled devilishly, tusks protruding. "So, that half-demon of yours must have discovered you're gone, hmm, my dear?" Kagome, kneeling in front of him on the plateau's rocky surface, gave an empty smile. She bowed her head and proffered a tray.

"Tea, my lord?"

"Yes, thank you." He took a cup with a six-fingered hand, stroking her face with the other. She leaned into his touch. "But you don't want him to come take you away from me, do you?"

Kagome shook her head vehemently. "No, my lord."

Tsubasa fluttered his wings in satisfaction. "That's what I thought." The demon gave a raspy laugh, gazing at the latest piece to his collection. She had certainly cleaned up well, much better than he'd dared hope at first, with that awful tear-stained face and tangled hair.

Far below, Inuyasha stood, chest heaving, despair and the pure possessive fury of a hanyou whose property has been taken sparking in his eyes. _Kagome! Kagome, who took you? Where are you? _He took a deep breath, realizing he was shaking. He'd always been able to protect Kagome before, but now- it was like she'd disappeared into thin air, vanished. And it was all because of him she was out here, alone! Kagome was gone and he hadn't a clue where. _I'll find you, Kagome, I promise. _He started back to the hut.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own nothing, as always. I'd love to hear your guy's thoughts on this.

Inuyasha leaned over Kirara's shoulders, scanning the ground below them. The group had split up; Sango and Miroku were hunting in the other direction, atop Shippou in his pink balloon form. They had set up a search method, dividing the area around the tree cave into a grid, searching each square one by one from the air, though now, in the second day of their search, they still hadn't come across any sign of Kagome.

Miroku had put forth the thought that her kidnapper must be able to fly, and the others had agreed that was the only explanation. The monk had been very disturbed, though. Inuyasha, never one to think things through before pulling out his sword, had been almost eerily focused during their planning session. No flying into a rage, no slashing down innocent trees, no bounding off by himself to do battle.

Although it's hard to do battle when you've no idea who you need to kill.

And Inuyasha definitely intended to kill whoever had taken Kagome. Slowly. Painfully. His nails dug into his palms at the thought. _It's been two days, and there's just no way to tell where she is! I've got to find her, she's all alone…_ He sat back a little, thinking, absently ruffling one of Kirara's ears. She promptly bit him.

"Ow!" he roared, giving his wounded hand a good lick. "What the hell, Kirara!"

She craned her neck around to stare at him with her intelligent eyes. He frowned. "Well- of course I'm going to apologize when I find her! But right now that whole _finding her _thing is more important!" Kirara mewled and looked forward. Inuyasha snorted grumpily. _Gods, we've gone over everything, over and over again! I've got to think. We've made so many enemies- but what are the odds that one of them would stumble on Kagome? _He shook his head rapidly, ears flapping, and stared down again.

The forest below him was quiet in the cold, watery late autumn sunlight. Everything was normal; birds twittered and hopped from branch to branch, squirrels were industriously storing their nuts. It was all totally normal- _except I don't have Kagome! Damn! _He rammed his fist into his thigh. Inuyasha had looked calm to Miroku but he was dangerously near the snapping point.

Suddenly Kirara slewed violently earthwards, almost sending him sliding off her tail. He snatched a handful of her mane, seeing instantly the dark mist of smoke and demonic aura rising from behind a nearby mountain. "Smoke! Isn't there a village over there?" Kirara was already heading towards it, but Inuyasha hesitated. _I can't waste time! I need to keep hunting for Kagome. But that demonic aura- I can tell from here. It's fading fast, but it's a hanyou, not a demon._

He whacked Kirara on the rump. "Faster! Come on, move it!" She nipped him again. Sango was much nicer.

Tsubasa stood triumphant, breathing deeply the smoke of burning buildings and smouldering bodies. That pesky village at the base of his mountain, the one with such disappointing lack of beautiful young girls, was gone now, and that dog half-breed his newest collection piece had told him about would certainly come to check it out. Two birds with one stone! Tsubasa smiled and flicked a finger, calling Kagome closer to him. The stage was set! He could barely hold still.

And… there. There was the hanyou, coming in fast atop some strange cat-like creature! Perfect! The hanyou leapt down, skidding to a stop as the feline wheeled around, probably to fetch some help. Tsubasa and Inuyasha stood facing each other through wisps of smoke. The redheaded, winged demon was carefully studying his opponent, but Inuyasha was too shocked to do anything but stare.

Kagome stood next to that odd demon with the black scarred-face, leaning her hip lissomely against his. Inuyasha could tell exactly how many inches of skin were touching, too, because she was practically naked. A tiny little scrap of something- less fabric than the size of his palm!- covered her top, while an extremely short sarong-type wrap of the same thin material concealed her hips, her long legs and feet bare. Her hair was tied up, bangs coyly brushed to one side and hiding an eye, while something gold glinted at her navel. Inuyasha gulped and looked closer- a ring pierced her bellybutton.

_Holy fuck! Gods, what's happened to her? Why didn't she ever wear that around me? And- _Inuyasha jumped a little as Kagome smiled blankly at him. Her voice was melodic and devoid of all inflection.

"Like what you see, Inuyasha? Too bad my lord and master here has already had it," she told him. He stiffened, ears pressed back. _What the hell? Why is she letting him touch her like that! He's- had it? They couldn't have! Unless…_ Inuyasha squinted at here eyes; empty, unfocused, drooping. _She's asleep or something, it's not really her speaking. _The hanyou was snarling unconsciously, an almost inauduble growl rumbling in his throat.

He crouched a little, bracing his feet, pulling out his Tetsusaiga. "What did you do to Kagome, you bastard!" he growled. The other hanyou facing him smirked and took a mock bow, waving his hand.

"I'm Tsubasa, by the way," he said. "Pleased to meet you too, Inuyasha half-breed."

Inuyasha's growl was full blown and rich with menace this time. 'I don't know how you know my name or what you did to Kagome to make her like that, but you'll pay dearly! You destroyed this village, didn't you?" Tsubasa gave a happy laugh, and Inuyasha nearly lost his mind with rage, seeing him so close to Kagome. "Damn you to hell! And why are you calling me a half-breed when you are one yourself!" Tetsusaiga was glowing in time to his pounding heart.

Tsubasa's green eyes were huge and wrathful, six-fingered hands clenched so hard a drop of blood slipped to the ground. He'd pierced his own palms. "I AM NOT A HALF BREED!" he bellowed, shaking like a leaf in high wind. Kagome looked up at him, grabbing his arm in concern. He shook her off roughly, flinging her out of the way and striding forwards to Inuyasha. "I'M A DEMON AND I'LL PROVE IT OVER YOUR DEAD BLEEDING BODY!" Inuyasha smiled.

"Just the way I like it!" he said grimly, and charged. Speeding over the ground, he scanned for a weak spot- no armor, no apparent weapon. This should be easy. _I'll have Kagome back in no time at all!_ He reached Tsubasa and swung his sword as hard and fast as he could, expecting to shear through unprotected flesh. Instead, his weapon bounced off Tsubasa's shielding wing, sending sparks of pain down Inuyasha's forearms. He feinted rapidly to the left, the attacked again, sending sparks flying as he hit the other wing.

Tsubasa's face was flushed as Inuyasha barely avoided a superfast swipe of his clawed hand. Inuyasha stepped back, regrouping, trying to figure out how puny wings like those could withstand the Tetsusaiga. Tsubasa was pressing his attack, lunging forward with tusks bared. _It doesn't matter. I still have some other tricks up my sleeve._

Inuyasha danced back, laughing as loudly and mockingly as he could. Tsubasa stopped dead, giving a feral grimace. "Why are you laughing at me?" he spat. 'I'm going to kill this girl in front of your very eyes! It's been a long time since I had such a fun couple to destroy!"

Inuyasha blinked, thrown off for a second. "What? So that's your sick game!" _Uncomfortably like that asshole Naraku. _His winged opponent tamped his feet down, seeking better footing for his next assault.

"Damn straight! I was never allowed to have who I wanted, so nobody else will!" he roared, breathing hard. Then, gaining a little control, he gave a grating chuckle. "Besides, although Kagome's been a lot of fun, it'll be even more enjoyable skinning her piece by pretty little piece in front of you!"

Inuyasha snarled involuntarily, glancing aside. Kagome was sitting a ways away, legs crossed, placidly tracking Tsubasa with adoring eyes. He shuddered, nausea roiling in his belly, then resumed his mind games, determined to drive Tsubasa over the brink with his newfound sore spot. "You're going to kill me? You're just a half-breed, like me, I can see it in your aura!" _That stung, I hate that word. _"You're weak! You don't belong anywhere! You've never had a home or a life or a friend, have you, Tsubasa?" The winged hanyou was trembling more violently now, eyes rabid. The black streak down his face was slowly spreading. Inuyasha pressed on relentlessly. "You've got no one who loves you, no one who would ever let you love them back! So you have to hypnotize girls to even get them to spend a moment with you without running away!" _Gods… this is my life…_"Everyone you've ever been close to has pushed you away! Probably ran away screaming in terror, am I right, you pathetic piece of shit? _Am I right?!"_

Tsubasa gave an inarticulate screech of wrath and attacked so fast that he swiped Inuyasha's arm nearly to the bone before the hanyou could react, eliciting a sharp howl. _My firerat stopped some of it, or he'd have taken my arm clean off! _Inuyasha thunked the hilt of Tetsusaiga down solidly on Tsubasa's skull as he swept by, shoulders bunching tightly in effort. The winged half-demon stumbled, flapping his wings to keep his balance. Inuyasha swung the Tetsusaiga like chained lightning, putting everything he had into the killing stroke, mouth agape with effort. Tsubasa's head tumbled to earth over twenty feet away as his body, wings still flapping, landed twitching and spasming in a steadily spreading pool of blood.

Inuyasha leaned on his sword, panting, snarling in pain at his wretched arm. _Stupid, stupid! This'll take at least a week to heal enough to be any good at all! _He heard a soft laugh and whirled, gasping at the sight of Tsubasa's head, smiling through a lurid mask of blood.

"Inuyasha! You've killed me. But that girl will always be mine! You can't trust a word she says now- you'll never know just how much fun I had with her…" The head gave one last raspy laugh before the eyes drooped shut- this time for good. Inuyasha shook his head violently, wiping his face with the sleeve of his crimson robe, before turning slowly to Kagome.

She was keeled over flat on the ground, eyes gazing glassily at the smoke-filled sky. _Shit! Kagome!" _Inuyasha was at her side in an instant, cradling her lightly in his good arm. "Kagome? Kagome! Get up! Come on, come on!" He slapped her lightly. She blinked.

"Thank the gods! Kagome? Are you all right?" Kagome sat up slowly, a dazed expression on her face, then put a hand to her mouth. Inuyasha shook her. "Kagome?"

"I'm gonna puke," she managed before vomiting spectacularly over the front of his robe. Inuyasha instantly clapped a hand over his abused nostrils, forcing himself not to toss her away as she looked up at him, with an awful dawning remembrance showing in her wide eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Sorry for short chapters.

Sango and Miroku touched down just then, slipping off Kirara and dashing over to the crouching pair. Sango immediately knelt beside Kagome, cupping her face with a concerned hand as Miroku gazed in revulsion at the smoldering ruins of the village. "Kagome? Are you okay? Where have you been all this time?" asked Sango, eyes wide. Inuyasha stood up, turning Kagome over to Sango's arms as she burst into tears. _Hell! I hate when she cries! I never know what to do!_ He stood there awkwardly in his puke-stained firerat. Kagome just buried her head against a startled Sango's breast, quivering. Sango let her cry for a moment, then gently took her by the shoulders and pushed her away, checking for wounds. "Whoah! Kagome, why are you dressed like that? Gods, you look like- like-" Sango was lost for words. She'd bathed many times with Kagome, and was used to her short skirts from the future, but somehow, seeing that tiny outfit on her made the exposed skin seem more vulnerable and perverse.

Miroku, finally focusing on the problem at hand, instead of wondering how in all the hells they would bury that many charred bodies, let out an involuntary yelp upon seeing Kagome. "What has been going on?!' Inuyasha gave him a dangerous look from under slanted eyes, reaching out to gather up Kagome bridal-style in his arms, ignoring the pain from his wound, trying to avoid the vomit and blood drenching his front as much as possible. She was by now crying hysterically, lost to the world around her.

Sango and Miroku stood in consternation as Kirara gave the sobbing girl a gentle lick, eyeing the decapitated body of Tsubasa, still flopping weakly. Inuyasha hefted Kagome up and turned to go. "She'll talk about it when she's ready," he snapped to Miroku, walking off. Sango and the monk exchanged a glance, then turned as one to deal with giving the villager's remains a proper burial and put out the last surviving fires. Over the last two years of seeking Naraku, they'd gained an awful amount of experience in this kind of thing.

Inuyasha sat on his heels beside Kagome, bare-chested, his soiled firerat coat and undershirt thrown out the door. _It's a wonder my nose ain't melting,_ he thought grimly, wrinkling it at the memory. Kagome was next to him, freshly dressed in jeans and a sweater, tiny costume lying next to her; she'd wrapped his wounded arm up after changing, too, managing to keep it together just long enough. Her back was against the wall, arms wrapped tightly around drawn-up legs. She was still crying, almost absently, tears streaking her puffy face as she stared at the floorboards. Inuyasha was rubbing her back helplessly with his good hand, completely terrified by this onslaught of tears and wishing to high heaven that Sango and Miroku would come back. Shippou was off visiting Kaede or something- little twit always showed up when least expected. As he'd gotten older, he'd gotten more independent, although he still managed to wriggle his way into Kagome's sleeping bag. _Little twerp._

He decided it was time to break the silence. "Kagome?" She wouldn't look at him. He poked her in the side, unsure how to handle her and deciding making her furious would be the quickest route back to normal. "Kagome!"

She turned her head a little, eyes finally drying up, he was relieved to see, staring at his nose. "What?" Her voice was quiet and a little hoarse.

He blew out his breath nervously. "Um. Are you okay? I mean, that guy, Tsubasa-" Her brow wrinkled and she stood up suddenly. Inuyasha froze. She gave a wild moan, reaching up and ripping out the ribbon that tied her hair, frantically fingercombing it back into its normal order. She lifted up her shirt- _Oh, wow, okay, look away, look away, Inuyasha, damn!-_ and ripped out the gold ring, sending a tiny trickle of blood down her belly. Inuyasha jumped up, highly disturbed, nose aflame with her reeking shame and fear. _What's she ashamed of? Hell, that guy wasn't serious when he said he'd had- had fun with her, was he? _

The hanyou stood up too and grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to look into his eyes. "Look, Kagome, you need to tell me what happened, okay? It's all right, I promise, you're safe and he's dead, and-" he took a deep breath- "whatever happened wasn't your fault, he hypnotized you or something!"

Kagome nodded weakly. "Yes, he did. But after he did it, I- I wanted to stay with him! I never wanted to leave, and it felt so real, Inuyasha! Like I was really with him by choice! And I said the most horrible things about you to him, I called you a- a dirty halfbreed, and- but you know I didn't mean a word of it!" Inuyasha's golden eyes were staring directly into hers, full of dismay and something she couldn't define. She pressed on grimly. "The whole time, I thought you wouldn't bother to come for me, and I was so afraid!" She was crying again. Inuyasha hesitated, then pressed her unresisting body gently against his chest, holding her tightly. She pulled back a little, confused by the unusual display of emotion. "Inuyasha? You're not… mad at me?"

He started laughing. "Hell no! I'm just glad I managed to find you. I don't care about anything that happened with that guy, it wasn't you doing it, and you know it." He paused, growing serious. "But what exactly do you mean by plaything, Kagome?"

She bit her lip. "It's kind of blurry, but I don't think, um, anything happened, not that way." She was blushing furiously. "I don't even think he wanted me for – that, he just wanted to use me against you. He liked making you mad, that was his thing. That's why he dressed me like he did and everything." She was slowly calming down, and stepped forward slowly, pressing her head against Inuyasha's neck.

His eyes wide, he slowly tightened his hold on her. They stood there, embracing- until the image of her in that itty-bitty outfit popped into his head and he had to hastily push her off him and turn away, one ear straight up and one down. "Well- that's good- and you – you should have known I would come, Kagome!"

Kagome scooted over to sit on her worn sleeping bag. _He's always pushing me away,_ she thought sadly. _I'm definitely not going to tell him why I thought he wouldn't come, though! _She cleared her throat. "I know I should have, I'm sorry. It seems like I'm always starting fights with you, Inuyasha." He shook his head, whirling around to face her, fiercely banishing that pernicious image of bare skin from his brain.

"Kagome- I know why you thought I wouldn't come!" Her chocolate eyes were big and round. "I went and acted like an idiot, and got drunk, and said some stuff I didn't mean." He slowed himself down, not used to being so open, not sure yet if he liked his feelings being so exposed. "Sango saw me kiss you, Kagome."

She chewed furiously on her lip. "Oh! Oh... Uh, it's okay, Inuyasha- I know you missed Kikyo."

He flopped down, yanking on one ear in frustration. "That's not it! I mean, yeah, I guess I thought you were Kikyo, and I- uh, I do miss her a lot." Kagome leaned back, a sick feeling in her stomach. _I knew it! Oh, Inuyasha. _He snarled aloud, startling her. "But- after you left- I was trying to tell Kikyo that I couldn't go to hell with her because of you! Okay?!" He jumped up and stalked off, cheeks scorching scarlet, snatching his fire rat up as though it had personally committed a heinous crime against him. He was headed to the river to clean his wounds again, as Kagome hadn't been calm enough to do it well- not to mention his clothes.

Kagome sat stunned. An ant crawled over her bare foot, and she shook her head dazedly, flicking it away. Her thoughts were racing, both elated and confused. _He- said that? Because of me, he'd have left Kikyo? Does this mean- maybe- he returns my feelings? Just a little?_ She smiled happily. Unzipping her sleeping bag, she looked up as Miroku and Sango walked in, Shippou atop Kirara.

The fox demon jumped down and bounded into Kagome's open arms. "Kagome! Oh, I'm so glad you're all right! Sango and Miroku came to get me after they took care of that village. I didn't even know you were gone!"

Kagome giggled, pulling his fluffy tail gently. "It's okay, Shippou, I'm fine now." She looked up at the monk and the demon-slayer, who looked sooty and emotionally worn. "What happened at that village? Any survivors?"

Miroku eased himself down to the ground, heartsick. "Unfortunately, no. I knew some people from that village- I once exorcised a demon for them." He sighed. Sango rested her hand on his shoulder and gave a tender squeeze before going outside to gather firewood. The nights were getting very cold. Kagome's brows knit as she yawned, sliding into her sleeping bag.

"Oh, Miroku, I'm so sorry!"

He smiled briefly. "It's all right, Kagome. They were only passing acquaintances. We buried the remains we could find and said prayers for the dead. That's all we could do."

"I'm glad they're buried. I wish I could have stayed to help," said Kagome softly. "I feel like it was my fault they were killed by Tsubasa."

"The winged half-demon slain by Inuyasha?"

"Mhmm."

"He was evil, Kagome. You weren't responsible for his despicable actions- you couldn't have stopped them." He stopped, lifting a brow. "Although- just how evil was he, Kagome?" She frowned, puzzled. Miroku elaborated, settling in for the night, exhausted from gravedigging. "I mean those clothes you were wearing. Or rather, weren't wearing. Did he-" he paused diplomatically, eyes concerned- "take advantage of you?"

Kagome was flushing, face like a deer in the headlights. "No! No, he just wanted to make Inuyasha mad, I think, he thought we were- you know, together."

Miroku nodded. Kagome was like a sister to him, and he'd been very concerned. "Ah, that's good. I was a little worried, I admit. Though that outfit didn't look half bad, Kagome." Thank the gods she _wasn't_ his sister- _Sango would have looked better, _he thought, _but seeing Kagome in it was a nice treat. _Sango was so touchy about any real physical contact.

Just then Inuyasha walked in, dripping robe slung over a shoulder and carrying a few big logs. Sango followed, loaded down with kindling to last through the night. The monk twitched. "Um- so, yes, we stopped and got Shippou on the way back! Heh heh! Goodnight all!" Miroku closed his eyes and immediately begin emitting raucous fake snores. Sango eyed him suspiciously as she lit one of those wonderfully convenient matches Kagome had provided from the future, blowing gently on the quickly growing flames.

Inuyasha just shook his head as he hung up his sopping clothes in a corner, looking at Kagome from the corner of his eye, having heard Miroku and agreeing wholeheartedly, in spite of himself. Kagome was lying on her back, eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling. He knew the look- he'd had it himself many a night, though for a very different reason. Inuyasha had seen Kagome naked before, though only for a split second and a few times, but he'd had to carry her all the way home in practically nothing but a few scraps of silk. Her scent had risen strongly to his nose and her bared body was torture, almost everything revealed.

He shut his eyes firmly, setting his back against the wall to doze. _This is Kagome we're talking about. She's human! You could never be with her. Not that she'd even want you- not like that. She's just a good friend. _A good friend currently lying touchably close, three feet away from him in the dark, a friend who was beautiful and was hell with a bow and who always had his back, always believed in him with her huge eyes and lush lips... Images rose into his fevered brain, unstoppable, and he let out an angry growl, stomping out the door to spend the lonely night in a tree. Kagome jumped a little, watching him walk out in the flickering firelight, eyes running over his shoulders and down the line of his backbone before she hastily shut them again, aghast at herself.

Outside in a low branch, Inuyasha settled his bare back to the rough bark, cradling his roughly bandaged, aching arm with a grimace. He shut his eyes, surrendering to the memory of Kagome's pale smooth skin and long legs, that soft cleavage, long neck, delicious full lips- _Gah! What is _wrong_ with me? I'm as bad as that Tsubasa bastard!_ He was in for a very long night indeed.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer; I own nothing.

Kagome awoke early, shivering in the thin morning air. She folded her sleeping bag, moving quietly so as not to wake Sango and Miroku, who during the night had shifted and somehow ended up holding hands. _Cute, Kodak moment for sure. _Kagome grinned at the sleeping pair as she slipped out of the hut, pulling on her shoes and socks outside, placing her hands behind her head and studying the softly moving patterns on sunshine through leaves._ I wonder why Tsubasa was so crazy? I mean, Inuyasha's not exactly normal, but that other hanyou really had himself convinced he was a full demon. And he didn't kill me, even- he just wanted to screw with Inuyasha's head._ She glimpsed a flash of crimson and silver as Inuyasha jumped down from his nighttime perch.

He walked over to where she sat and plumped himself down, avoiding her eyes. She smiled hesitantly. "Good morning, Inuyasha. How's your arm?"

He scratched a circle in the dirt with his foot, then stood up again convulsively. "It's fine. I'm gonna go catch some fish for breakfast." He strode off, ears wriggling wildly, then stopped. "Kagome, are you doin' okay?"

She nodded, eyes crinkled, then realized her couldn't see her with his back turned and laughed. "Yeah, I'll be all right, too." Inuyasha took off, relieved that it wasn't awkward between them like he'd thought it would be after last night. Though in his own mind, it was strange talking to Kagome- the wound of losing Kikyo was still fresh, and the two did look similar. He still wasn't sure exactly how he'd felt about Kikyo- he'd been protective and possessive. But the resurrected Kikyo was nothing like the kind woman he remembered from fifty years ago. She'd been colder and wilder in her new form, taken over by her freed emotions and clay body, and he hadn't liked the change at all. Nevertheless, even if he wasn't sure if the love was still there- and he had loved her, she'd been the first human to ever accept him wholly- she'd been an important part of his life, and her loss had cut deep.

Kagome was grinning like a fool, glad, though she wasn't entirely sure why. She stretched out on her back and folded her arms behind her head in the soft dewy grass, watching the sky slowly brighten and hearing Sango and Miroku getting woken up rudely by Shippou.

"Come on, you guys! Wake up wake up wake up!"

"Aaah! Shippou! Don't jump- oof!" Hysterical giggles floated through the air.

Inuyasha wasn't beaming like Kagome, but he was pretty happy too. Kagome had been rescued and he felt like the weight of the world had fallen from his shoulders. He'd never admit it, but he'd been unbelievably stressed and worried while she'd been kidnapped. He hated her being gone for any reason, really. Even if she was just going home for a day to take a test or do some shopping, he was prone to extreme grumpiness and involuntary chopping down of innocent trees. The hanyou tensed, eyes flashing, then plunged a hand into the water, pulling out a fat trout and tossing it onto the bank, already searching for another. He felt the completed jewel bump his chest and missed his next try. _If I wish with it... it will disappear forever... at least Kagome doesn't need it anymore to come back to me. But what do I do with the damn thing? I'm not sure any more..._

Sango walked out of the hut, rubbing her eyes blearily. She came over to Kagome and smiled down at her. "Good morning, Kagome. Listen, are you still tired? Or would you like to take a break from the boys and come back to my village with me? I know I just- went-" she clenched her jaw for a moment. That trip had been to bury Kohaku. "-But I have things to do there still."

"Sure I'll come with you, Sango. How come you need to go back again? Weapon repairs?"

The demon slayer nodded ruefully. "Yes, that last battle with Naraku really did some damage, and I haven't had time to fix it yet." Kagome was feeling much better after a good nights' sleep and decided that a day or two with her friend in the quiet, if a bit gloomy, slayer village would be just what she needed. _I should really go home and tell the family about Naraku and the jewel, I haven't been home in almost a month._ She ran inside to get her bow and arrow- _won't be caught without these again!_- and decided that could wait. Her family had gradually grown accustomed to longer and longer absences, and Kagome felt more at home in the feudal era now than she did sitting in a classroom. _But I'm still gonna graduate next year!_

She swung aboard Kirara, waving to Miroku and Shippou, shouting, "Tell Inuyasha we'll be back in a few days!" Sango blew the monk a kiss, which he pretended to catch, a little surprised by the overt affection. Kagome was quiet during the journey, relishing the sun warming her as they rose higher. Sango stayed silent and let her friend think, sensing now was not the time to discuss what was really bothering her. Kagome's brow was puckered. _I haven't really thought about it- what will we all do now that Naraku's gone and we have the jewel? What will Inuyasha do? And… will I have to go home for good? _She cringed at the thought. _Surely that won't happen. I'm a fair shot, after all, and it's not like we're going to run out of demons any time soon! I don't think I could leave Inuyasha for good, anyway. _It shocked her a little how much he had become a part of her entire life.

Late in the day the trio touched down inside the slowly falling enclosure of the slayer's village. Sango immediately went to the graveyard, lighting fresh incense and praying silently for her family and comrades, something she tried to do whenever she had the chance, and would do especially for the newest, smaller grave at the end- Kohaku's. Sango had gone straight there with Kirara after the battle with Naraku, before anything else at all, to bring him back to their family, but after burying him she had come directly back to the others, worried about them and needing Miroku's comfort. Kagome gave her time alone, wandering in the workroom containing the remains of demons that the slayers used to create their amazing armor and weapons. She picked up a long rib bone idly, sensing that any demon aura that might once have been in it was now long gone, and admired its pearly multi-colored sheen in the light.

_It's shaped a lot like my bow, actually,_ she mused. Self-defense was definitely forefront in her consciousness right now, after the Tsubasa debacle, which had left her feeling rather helpless and highly aware of her own puny mortal body. _Hanging around with all these slayers and half-demons and monks- it doesn't make a girl feel very tough! _She hefted the bone, then carefully bent it over her knee, gingerly at first, then firmly, marveling at the springy texture and bounce. _Wow, this isn't like bone at all. _She held it up and drew back an imaginary string, pretending to take aim, then giggled at her own foolishness and set it back down, going outside to unload a snoozing Kirara.

Miroku and Inuyasha were taking advantage of their first real day of rest to do some hot springs soaking. Luckily there was one not too far away from the hut, which, due to its hidden location, owner-less state, and adjacent river, had been one they returned to time and again in their travels. The hot springs were a much loved added bonus.

As the men relaxed, the monk couldn't help noticing Inuyasha was a bit distracted. He splashed the hanyou lightly. "Is there something you'd like to talk about, Inuyasha?" He got only a growl and a turned back for his efforts. _I'll just have to play a little dirty,_ Miroku decided. _I'm certain I know what's bothering him._

He leaned back, wriggling until he found a smooth spot against the rocky banks. Putting his hands behind his head and shutting his eyes, he was the picture of a daydreamer. "I know I have plenty to think about after seeing Kagome in that outfit," he mused out loud. "That was something, all right. And I did rather like that ring in her belly. Very exotic." Inuyasha's ears were laid back, Miroku noticed. He continued, adding in a loudly dramatic sigh, rather pleased with his acting chops. "Sango is just not very forthcoming in the romance department, I regret to say. I'll tell you, Inuyasha, I am more than a bit jealous that you have a friendly girl like Kagome around-" he choked off as Inuyasha whirled around, squeezing his hands around the monk's neck and shaking him violently, lip curled.

"Shut up, you little bastard! It's not like that between me and her! And what were you doing looking at Kagome anyways?!" he shouted, one eye twitching. Miroku twisted one of Inuyasha's ears, gasping in relief and massaging his throat as the hanyou let go with a yelp. The monk prudently scooted a few feet away as Inuyasha growled at him. _Nobody'll ever say I don't have a wonderful sense of self preservation,_ he thought to himself.

"Listen, Inuyasha, I know that there is something between you and Kagome besides friendship," he began, as Inuyasha sheepishly began to realize he'd been duped. "I don't know about you, but Kagome obviously has deep feelings for you. Now that Kikyo has returned to the afterlife," he said this gently, watching golden eyes cloud over, "she most likely hoped that in time, you would return them. I'm asking you as her friend and yours. Do you have feelings for Kagome?"

Inuyasha took a deep breath and ducked under, silvery hair swirling on top of the water. Miroku crossed his arms and waited patiently, knowing that although Inuyasha could hold his breath for quite a while, he would come up eventually. _Forgive me,dearest Sango. You're wonderful in the romance department, _he thought repentantly.

He eyed Inuyasha sternly as he finally surfaced, flipping his soaking hair impatiently out of his eyes. Inuyasha sighed deeply, staring into the steaming water. "Yeah, I - I guess maybe I do, now Kikyo's gone," he said slowly.

Miroku's eyes narrowed. "Merely because Kikyo's gone? Kagome and Kikyo are not the same woman at all, you realize. One is not a substitute for the other."

"Well, duh! Idiot. But before, I guess I felt I had to protect Kikyo. Like I owed her something, you know?" He sank into the water up to his chin, glaring moodily at Miroku. "Kagome's kind of crazy, though. I mean, more than normal women."

Miroku started laughing helplessly. "Yes, she is! Though Sango runs a close second. But this is the first time you've admitted your feelings for her, correct?" Nod. "Are you planning on informing Kagome?" Shake. "Why not? It's obvious to all of us- she would welcome it."

Inuyasha looked at him disgustedly, pointing to one ear. "I'm a half-demon, remember?" Miroku frowned, not understanding at first, then his eyes widened.

"You honestly believe that makes the slightest bit of difference? That doesn't matter in the least to Kagome, or to anyone who knows you, Inuyasha!"

"I know it doesn't matter to her! But it should! Look at her grandpa. He's nuts, he's always tryin' to purify me whenever I'm over there! And he's not half as bad as most humans!" he roared in frustration. "You didn't have to grow up the way I did, Miroku. Remember Jinenji, that half-demon from the eastern village? Look what he went through! He was an inch away from being murdered by the villagers, and they would've killed his mother too, just for being around him!" He subsided, swallowing, eyes stinging. _From the steam, dammit to hell! _"If Kagome really knew what she'd be getting herself into she wouldn't want to be with me," he muttered.

Miroku was aghast. "I think she knows full well, Inuyasha! She's been by your side night and day, through unimaginably dangerous battles, and she's seen how they look at you in the towns." He put a finger to his mouth in mock confusion. "I wonder why she's still here? Could it possibly be because she doesn't care?" Inuyasha started grinning abashedly and flicked water at the monk.

"Yeah, yeah, I guess you're right. But if I decide to tell her, that'll be my decision, hear me, monk?" he growled. "Don't you go running your mouth."

Miroku nodded, raising his newly healed hand in mock salute. _At least the stubborn man has admitted he wants Kagome, _he reflected. _Gods know it's about time! I wonder if I should ask about his plans for the jewel._.. He glanced pensively at the shimmering pinkish gem around his friend's neck. _Mmm, better not yet, that's a whole other den of demons to open._


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing.

Kagome put her arm around Sango's shoulders fondly as they watched the sunset. It was gorgeous tonight, full of flamingo pinks and rich purples. Behind them, Kirara gave an adorable tiny yawn, giving up on being petted and heading inside to get some sleep.

Sango smiled at her friend, though Kagome couldn't help but notice a tiny wrinkle between her brows. "What's the matter, Sango?" she asked, concerned. Sango blinked.

"What makes you think something's wrong? There's nothing wrong!"

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "Sango, I've known you for two years now, I can tell when something's bothering you. Out with it!" she commanded. Sango gave in, knowing that whatever it was, Kagome would help her out.

"It's just- it's nothing important," the demon slayer began. "I've just been feeling odd. Kohaku's gone, which is a blessing and a curse, but I feel like a failure because I couldn't save him..." she sighed, rubbing her temples, knowing that was a whole other issue she'd have to come to terms with on her own. "It seems like everything just happened so fast. All our enemies are gone now, we have the jewel. I've been wondering what comes next. I know Miroku will probably want to settle down and raise a family…" she paused, sticking her tongue out and grimacing comically. It didn't fool Kagome, who could tell it really bothered her.

"Is a family what you want?" she prodded. Sango pursed her lips.

"No! Not just yet, I'm not- I'm not ready, anyway, later on. But I feel like that was-" she was struggling for the right words, "-a condition of our engagement, almost. I know Miroku wants a child so badly, and if I don't want to give him one just yet, do you think he'll be angry?"

Kagome laughed softly, taking her friend's hands. "No! Of course not, Sango. You know Miroku loves you for you, not for any child you might give him. Besides, I think that the desperate children thing was really just because he had the wind tunnel hanging over his head." Sango smiled, hoping Kagome was right.

Suddenly Kirara shot out of the house like an arrow from Kagome's bow to stand in front of them, transforming to her large form, growling ferociously as flames licked her feet. The girls stood up, snatching their weapons and scanning the area around them, seeing nothing.

"What is it, Kirara?" Sango hissed.

Kagome's jaw dropped as she spotted the intruder first. "Sesshoumaru?" she gasped. "What the hell is he doing here?"

Sango snorted, eyeing the demon gliding towards them through the half-ruined gates, pale hair gleaming like fire in the last of the day's light. "You've been around Inuyasha too much, Kagome." She laid a reassuring hand on Kirara's raised hackles. "It's all right, Kirara. Just stay alert."

Kagome kept an arrow on her string as Sesshoumaru approached. "What do you want, Sesshoumaru?" she said loudly. He stopped a respectful distance from them, and Kagome realized in shock that his customary stony expression had cracked. His eyes were wide, the whites showing all around.

"Priestess," he said stiffly. "I have need of your assistance."

She squinted at him. _He's actually being fairly polite. _"I'm not a priestess. Again, what do you want?" she said curtly.

"Rin is seriously ill, and I don't know what ails her," he admitted. "I know that where you come from, healers are much more advanced."

Kagome was already slipping her arms into the loops of her backpack, running toward the tall demon. "Let's go! Where's Rin at?" she said. He blinked at her, showing more surprise than she could ever recall seeing on his face. Sango gave a frustrated growl and grabbed her by the arm.

"Kagome! This is Sesshoumaru, remember? He's tried to kill us more than once," she whispered. "This is probably a bad idea. I don't trust him at all." Kagome gave her an indignant look.

"Neither do I. But he's not going to lie about Rin, she's important to him. Besides, I like that little girl- if she's hurt and I could help her, of course I'm going to!"

"Then I'm coming with you," said Sango flatly, jumping aboard Kirara.

Kagome hopped up behind her, raising a brow at Sesshoumaru. "I'm glad. Sesshoumaru, show us where she's at, and tell me what's the matter on the way, okay?"

He took off immediately, despising how slowly the cat-creature traveled, his heart pounding faster than the exertion warranted. Rin was about three leagues off, left in Jaken and Ah-Un's care while he headed for the nearest human presence he could sense- which turned out to be two villages full of mortal fools, useless, and that annoyingly talented female human who traveled with his disgrace of a brother. He knew if his human ward died he could simply bring her back with his sword, but it was uncomfortable to see her in pain. "Rin has been vomiting," he told Kagome, raising his voice over the wind, though she still had to strain to hear him. "She complains of sharp stomach pains, nausea, and she's- bleeding."

Kagome frowned. "Bleeding?"

Sesshoumaru's empty sleeve snapped harshly in the wind of his passage. "Yes." He didn't elaborate, feeling vaguely awkward. He never held conversations with mortals.

"Bleeding how? Is she wounded?" Kagome was annoyed and worried. _I hope this isn't a trap of some sort. But lately, he and Inuyasha have been getting along better, it seemed. _She rolled her eyes. _At least, trying less enthusiastically to kill each other._

Sesshoumaru carefully looked straight ahead, lengthening his bounding steps slightly. Kirara panted, and he finally said,"No, Rin is not wounded. She's bleeding from between her legs." Gods, this was disgusting. Rin had better be safe; he very much felt like ripping something apart right now.

He looked over in shock. Both Kagome and Sango were laughing hysterically. Laughing! While Rin was lying curled on the ground, moaning and terrified! Before he knew what had happened, he had slapped Kagome open-handed with an enraged snarl, sending her flying off Kirara's back and skidding onto the hard ground. He landed in a tree and stopped, staring in bland surprise at his own hand. He'd never lost control like that before, and he hated that one tiny worthless mortal girl could do this to him.

Kagome stood up shakily, a hand to her white-hot jaw. "What the fucking hell!" she shrieked. Sesshoumaru slid down from the tree, ignoring Sango and Kirara's presence behind Kagome, and walked towards her. He'd ruined it- she had to help Rin! He resolved to carry her forcibly if need be. The girl had an arrow nocked and aimed straight between his eyes and he stopped, knowing the irritating wounds those blessed arrows caused.

Kagome could barely focus through the throbbing in her jaw. "You hit me! Rin's fine, you bastard! She's got her period!"

Sesshoumaru gave a slow blink. "Her what?"

"Her period! She's menstruating! It's normal, it happens every month to girls! Seriously, how old are you, you don't know basic human body functions?" Kagome snapped, eyes dangerously ablaze. "It means that now she's able to have children. The cramps are just side effects she'll have to live with." _My face hurts bad! I can't believe he did that, Sango was right about not trusting him. At least Rin's all right. _"You come to me for help and then treat me like this? Inuyasha's a better man than you could ever dream of being! Sucker punching me…" she muttered, climbing aboard Kirara as Sango shot icy glares at the confused demon. _Rin's definitely in good hands, though, _thought Kagome. _I've never seen Sesshoumaru so emotional about anything, let alone to lose control._

She shot him one last glare, letting her bowstring relax reluctantly. _I can't shoot him- he was only trying to save that little girl._ "Go tell Rin that she'll be fine and get some village woman to show her what to do. Don't come around me again, Sesshoumaru." Kirara curled her lip as she took off back to the slayer's village, rising high in the murky mosquito-filled air.

Below, Sesshoumaru stood nonplussed. Period? Disgusting human beings. Demon females certainly went through no such foul reproductive cycle. He headed to the nearest village, taking Kagome's advice, secretly very relieved.

Inuyasha was unknowingly perched in a tree at the same time as his beleaguered brother, though for very different reasons. "Dammit!" he grumbled as his claws split yet another piece of too-soft pine wood in half. He flung it away, half snarling, ears stiff. _This is impossible! Kagome'll just not get a birthday present. _He sat back and shut his eyes, decision made- then pinned his ears back, determinedly snatching up another chunk of wood and setting to work.

Below him, Miroku was carefully painting new sutras, an ink smear crossing his cheek and hair falling in his face in the most infuriating manner. Both men were grumpy and full of separation anxiety, though Miroku had other things on his mind as well. He was putting extra care into these sutras, adding symbols for strength against weather and happiness among the normal protection characters, making his lines painstakingly smooth and clear. He only had a few more left; to the monk's right sat a pile at least a foot high.

Inuyasha decided to take a break, finally having gotten a good start on his project. He nestled it carefully in his belt and leaped down, sending the sutra Miroku had just finished whirling through the air. The monk snatched it, nearly foaming at the mouth with rage. "Inuyasha! Don't bother me right now!" he snapped. The hanyou blinked.

"Sorry. Listen, what are you doin' all these for? It's not like you can carry them all on you."

The monk wiped a sleeve across his forehead, adding another streak of ink to his growing collection. "I told you. It's going to be a barrier."

"For?" Inuyasha scratched one ear absently.

"For the house of myself and Sango. When we're married."

"Ohhh, yeah. Right. Cuz Sango's really gonna wanna settle down in one spot," said Inuyasha sarcastically. "You know she ain't gonna stop goin' out and slashing up demons, Miroku."

"I actually thought of that, believe it or not," the monk said ill-temperedly. "But it's my responsibility as a husband to provide her with a safe home to return to… Truth to tell, I'm not ready to give up our travels either."

Inuyasha nodded. "Well, there's plenty of demons out there still."

Miroku wiped his brush off on the grass, grinning. "There! Finished!" He began to gather up the sutras in one awkward armful. "Speaking of travels, what do you think Kagome will do now you have the complete shard?"

Inuyasha froze. "She's gonna stay right here, like always!" he shouted. Miroku gaped at him, sending stray sutras flying like autumn leaves. Inuyasha growled deep in his throat and jumped back up to his tree, a single luridly scarlet spot against the nearly bare branches. _Of course she's gonna stay here,_ he thought angrily. _She wouldn't leave me just like that._

On the ground, Miroku just shook his head and gave a shout for Shippou to come in from his play and help him carry these awful sutras.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Kagome and Sango were almost home, newly mended Hiraikotsu gleaming. Kagome was in front for once atop Kirara, feeling the cool wind soothe her swollen face. She was dreading seeing Inuyasha. _He's going to go absolutely nuts. I'm beginning to regret not purifying Sesshoumaru!_ She touched her cheek gingerly.

Behind her, Sango let out a groan. "What?" said Kagome, craning her neck around.

"My skirt just ripped _again_!" shouted Sango, holding the parted seams of her olive green skirt up for inspection. "This is the third time in a moon that it's done this!"

"That's annoying," Kagome commiserated, pushing her bangs off her face. She brightened as a thought struck her. "Hey! I was planning on heading home either tonight or tomorrow for a few days. If you'd like, I could pick you up some of the clothing from my time, it'll probably last longer."

Sango grinned, pulling off stray threads from her garment. "All right, thank you. Gods know what I'm wearing now is old enough. Oh, there's the hut! I wonder what the men did while we were away?"

Kagome snorted. "Probably soaked in the hot springs until they were wrinkled up like lettuces!" The demon-slayer giggled as Kirara circled once, then touched down gently. The two slid off, grabbing their things as the nekomata quickly shrank and headed off for a nap.

"Miroku?" Sango called out. "We're back."

The monk stuck his head out of the hut at her voice, beaming delightedly. "Sango, dearest! I've missed you." He came over and gave her a hug, secretly congratulating himself on hiding the sutras where she'd never find them. "Did you repair the- Kagome!"

Kagome immediately whirled around, dragging her hair over half her face. "What?" she squeaked.

Miroku gaped at her. "What under the heavens happened to your face, Kagome? Were you struck?"

She sighed, giving up and brushing her black hair back to reveal a splendidly rainbow bruise, complete with slightly swollen eye. "We ran into Sesshoumaru, Rin was- ah- sick, and he wanted help. Listen, I don't want to tell Inuyasha, okay? He'll probably-"

"Don't wanna tell me what?" said Inuyasha, having just arrived from a hike through the forest, arms loaded down with mushrooms and other forage. He dumped his load inside the hut and came back outside, dusting off his sleeves, ears perked up at Kagome's return- only to be presented with her back. He frowned, trying to walk around her, but she only continued turning away, face bright red.

"What the hell, Kagome!" Inuyasha finally shouted, annoyed. He grabbed her shoulder and pulled her around. When his eyes hit the mark of Sesshoumaru's palm, they widened. His lips cut back from his fangs in an unconscious grimace and his ears were laid back tightly. His eyes flared red before he laid a hand on the hilt of Tetsusaiga. "Who hit you?" he roared, frightening even Kagome.

Kagome clutched his arm. "It's nothing, don't worry about it," she said frantically. "Sesshoumaru's ward was sick and he needed our help, so-"

Inuyasha jumped. "Sesshoumaru did this to you?" His voice was even louder than before, laced with an ominous rumble. "I'll kill the bastard! I'll slice his other arm off and both his legs and leave him like that! I'm gonna _cut_ the self-righteous demon outta him!"

Kagome sighed, giving up on the maybe-he'll-listen-to-reason theory. "Sit, boy," she said resignedly. _Oh, I knew he wouldn't let me explain. I can't have him chasing off after Sesshoumaru and starting another fight on my account. _Inuyasha promptly hit the ground, face ground into the dirt. He laid there for a moment, feeling the familiar full-body stinging hit him, then sat up carefully, looking at Kagome with narrowed eyes.

He crossed his arms, a clump of grass roots dangling off his chin. "Sorry. But what do you expect! Stupid girl!" Miroku and Sango exchanged glances, then headed off to make some dinner, leaving the other two to their latest argument.

Kagome knelt beside him, flicking off the roots. "Don't yell at me! Look, Rin had a- she had a female- something happened to her for the first time, normal, but it's scary if you don't know, and Sesshoumaru was really worried- I've never seen him so upset- so he came to us for help. And I laughed at him and he hit me. He was just scared for her! It'll be fine, though, it'll be gone in a week or two."

Inuyasha was still growling absently. "He still hit you though, Kagome! Why the hell would you help him, anyways?"

She sat back on her heels. "I wasn't helping him. I was helping Rin," she said simply.

The hanyou looked at her for a long moment, then reached out unexpectedly and cupped her face in his palm. She froze, not knowing what to make of this new development. _What's he doing? _Inuyasha gently ran a thumb over her cheekbone, frowning, then took his hand away abruptly. Kagome didn't say anything as he got up, feeling shivers run down her spine.

"You're way too nice sometimes, Kagome," he said, giving her a hand up. She laughed a little breathlessly. As they walked back to the hut, Inuyasha's nostrils flared, catching an unusual scent from Kagome. _What the heck is that smell- ohhh…_

Miroku looked up as they entered, adding mushrooms to the freshly boiling soup. "Why are you so red, Inuyasha?"

The next morning dawned misty and cold. Kagome was wearing her favorite sweater- deep blue, with embroidered X's along the collar and sleeves in silvery thread that reminded her of Inuyasha's hair. The group was gathered outside the well.

Kagome grinned at them all, waving. "I'll be back in three days, max. Behave while I'm gone!" This last was directed at a sheepish Shippou, who was currently in the doghouse for having used a stick of charcoal to draw all over the walls in the hut. Kagome glanced at Inuyasha for one last moment and met his eyes, knowing how much she'd miss him, then toppled backwards into the well.

The blast of warm air that accompanied the well's swirling ocean colors was welcome. She shut her eyes in bliss, feeling like she was drifting in front of the world's biggest blowdryer, before landing on dirt. Kagome sat there for a minute, refusing to open her eyes. _Back in my own time again. At least I've got some really good news! And I can't wait to see Mom, _she thought, forcing herself to cheer up. She adored her mom. _No tests either, as far as I know- mid-year finals aren't for another three months. Maybe this'll be a fun trip home._

Emerging from the well, she shivered in the cool air. It was dawning winter on her side of time too, and she decided that she'd get Sango a good jacket as well. She practically ran to her house, throwing open the kitchen door dramatically. "I'm hooo-oome!" she yelled.

Her mother looked up from the sink, startled. "Kagome?" she gasped happily, running forward to embrace her daughter with soapy hands. Kagome smiled, hugging her mother back just as tightly, letting her near-empty backpack drop to the ground.

Her mom finally let go. "Oh, I'm so glad you're back! You- your face! What happened?!" Kagome winced at the concern in her mom's eyes, deciding, as she'd done more than one time in the past, that a little white lie never hurt anyone.

"Oh, I was running after Kirara and I tripped and hit a rock, like a dummy," she said lightly. Her mom deliberated for a second, then decided to accept it. She knew that her daughter tried to keep the more dangerous aspects of her travels from her, though she guessed more than Kagome knew, with a mother's instincts.

"It looks like it hurts," she said sympathetically. "So, you were gone for quite a while. How is everyone?"

Kagome plopped down at a kitchen chair, not noticing the crumbs of soil falling from her jeans. She was used to dirt. "Good, everybody's good. Great, actually. We finally got Naraku!"

Her mother's eyebrows shot up. "The one you've been chasing this whole time? That's fantastic! Oh, honey, this is great!"

"I know, right?" said Kagome proudly. Her mother had insisted on being updated with every detail each time her daughter came home, and Kagome actually enjoyed the retellings, though, as her mother suspected, she did change a few things here and there. Having someone back home who knew where she was and what she did made her feel safer, somehow, and more connected to home. She grew more serious as a thought struck her. "But we lost Kikyo. And Sango's little brother."

Mrs. Higurashi tapped her chin with one finger. "Who- oh, the priestess. And poor Sango- Oh, I'm so sorry, darling. Is Inuyasha all right?" She'd been informed of their history along with all the other happenings, though in a much edited way.

Her daughter was pale as she spoke, she noticed. "Yeah, he's doing all right, I think. I've got a lot to tell you, but first I'd kind of like a bath and a nap. I'll come down for dinner, 'kay?" Her mother nodded.

As she watched the tub fill up, Kagome's mind was still racing. _I've got to go so school tomorrow early and get the assignments for my classes, that's Friday. Then go do my shopping- hmm, what should I get Sango? Probably a pair of jeans and a good sweatshirt. She wears her catsuit all the time, I'm sure she'll have no problem with pants- and oh god, we need massive amounts of toothpaste and toilet paper too. Not to mention I need some clothes for myself! _She clutched her head as she stripped and slid into the hot water, adding vanilla bubble bath. _This isn't going to be the relaxing vacation I was hoping for, is it? I wonder what awful diseases Grandfather's cooked up for me…_

Souta pounded on the door. "Sis! You're home!" Kagome sat upright with a slosh.

"Yep! I missed you! I'll tell you everything at dinner, okay?"

"Kay! Can't wait!" Souta's thumping footsteps rushed off down the hall again. Kagome sculpted the sweet-scented bubbles into mountains, wriggling her toes as still more thoughts bounced around her skull. _Inuyasha still hasn't said anything about the shard. He's just- oh! My birthday's this Monday! _The soap squirted out of her palms and across the bathroom floor with a wet squeak, coming to rest in the dark under the sink.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

"Aah! Mom, careful!" Kagome moaned, clutching the handle of the car's door with white knuckles. Her mother laughed, swerving sharply to avoid an oncoming vehicle. _Ohh, why didn't I ever learn to drive? I might not make it back to Inuyasha at this rate! _"Look out! Bus coming!" _I should have taken the train!_

At long last her mother jolted into an empty parking space at the mall. "Here we are!" she announced cheerily, ignoring the shellshocked pedestrian standing a foot in front of her bumper. She leaned over to give Kagome a hug and a kiss. "Here's some money. I'll pick you up in a couple of hours, okay? I have some errands of my own to run while we're all the way out here. Have fun, honey!" Kagome smiled crookedly before jumping out of the car as fast as she could.

"Thanks Mom! Drive careful, okay?" She backed away and covered her eyes as Mrs. Higurashi blasted away in a joyful zigzag across the parking lot. Kagome shook her head, walking away, the beginnings of a fatigue headache starting behind her eyes. School the day before had been absolute hell- prying teachers and awkward excuses, concern for her acute phalacrophobia, and a really astonishing pile of missed assignment. At least she'd gotten through the day without discussing her 'bad-boy' boyfriend or having to make up yet another excuse to avoid a date with Houjo.

Entering the mall, Kagome was immediately overwhelmed by a stifling sense of claustrophobia._ There's so many people here! We could have just walked all over Naraku with an army this size! How do they all stand it?_ She tugged her bangs hard, keeping her elbows close to her side and walking sideways, trying to avoid contact with the seething mass of strangers. _I've been in the feudal area for too long_, she decided ruefully, heading into the nearest store, nearly blinded by the glaring neon. She dragged her hastily made list from one pocket, scanning it quickly.

_Okay- jeans for me and Sango. This'll be easy enough, I'll be out of this awful place in an hour. _She blinked. _I actually used to love shopping… weird. _Riffling through the racks of denim, she quickly picked out two pairs for herself, with sturdy seams and heavy-duty copper rivets. Running through brush and battling demons could be rough on badly made clothing. _These are cute, too, _she mused, holding up a less work-oriented pair. They were narrow, made of distressed deep blue denim, complete with silver studs embossed into a fleur-de-lis pattern on the back pockets. Kagome chewed her lip for a second, then saw the 'sale' tag and decided she'd treat herself. She browsed through another rack, trying to ignore the urge to whip out the bow she didn't have and shoot an arrow at those damned blaring speakers in the ceiling. _Ah! These are perfect for Sango._ Handing over the cash at the register to a pale girl with a pierced brow and overflowing cleavage, Kagome was struck by a bright, deliciously lacy, multi-colored pile of fabrics. A gleam entered her eye as she felt worn elastic dig into her rear. _Underwear! _She turned to the salesgirl. "Can you hold these for a moment, please? I just saw something else! Thanks!"

Kagome practically ran to the lingerie display. _This will be my birthday present to myself, _she resolved, picking up a pair of black-and-white silk striped boyshorts with silver hearts. _After all, I doubt any of the group will remember. Mom will, but that's probably it- after all, I barely did! _A canary-yellow lacey thong was added to the rapidly growing pile. Kagome hesitated between a blue and pink polkadot pair and a bright crimson one, deciding on the red. Heading back to the slightly astonished salesgirl, she frowned. _Come to think of it, I don't know Inuyasha's birthday._

Struck by slight shopper's guilt- _ButI really needed some new underwear! Desperately! And they're sooo cute! _– Kagome wriggled back into the mob, on a mission for jackets, toothpaste and as much ramen and toilet paper as she could carry. The jackets were easily found in a small corner outdoors and sporting goods store. Sango got a deep rose number with an extra large hood and waterproofed material, and for herself Kagome picked up a similar chocolate-brown coat and a thick fleecy hoodie.

The flush of success didn't last, however. Her headache was full-blown after almost an hour of hunting for a store that carried the basic supplies she still needed- matches, toothpaste, towels, a thermos and fish hooks. After battling viciously through the crowd, throwing elbows left and right and using her huge bags of purchases to clear the way, she finally spotted a shop that looked like it would have what she needed, though it took a sly kick to the shins to squeeze inside.

_A packet of fish hooks has never looked so beautiful! _She was practically tearing up as she saw the matches right next to it. Another sweaty, violent hour later, Kagome was back outside, panting and grateful for the cool breeze as she set her bags down, seeing her mother wasn't here yet. _It's worse than battling a hundred demons getting through that crowd! I probably could have fired a few arrows and no one would have noticed! _

Screaming tires announced Mrs. Higurashi's arrival. Kagome leapt back to avoid a smashed foot, deftly stuffing her take in the tiny backseat before climbing in, smiling at her mother. "Hi, mom. Did you get all your errands done you wanted to do?"

Her mother pulled away with a roar and cacophony of honking horns. "Yep, got everything. Shouta needed some new shoes for school, and Grandpa wanted some odd kind of special medicinal powder, for one of his new tourist scams probably." Kagome leaned her head back, smiling, eyelids heavy. _It's good to be home. I've missed helping Gramps come up with new plots to pull on the travelers..._

Mrs. Higurashi glanced over at her sleeping daughter, a twinkle in her eye. She'd had one additional errand to run- Kagome's birthday present. It was tradition; the Higurashi family always got the birthday boy or girl two things, one useful and practical, the other a gag gift. _Although I'm sure my girl can use the gag gift I got her this year! She' s going to be seventeen, after all! _

Barely missing a taxi, the older woman reached out and tenderly touched her daughter's cheek. _I worry about my girl so much… but she's gotten so strong._

When they got home in the late evening, she carried Kagome upstairs, staggering a little- Kagome was short and slightly framed, but packed with muscle. As she laid her down on the bed, her eyes fluttered a little. "Thanks, mommy," she murmured. Mrs. Higurashi smiled, hurrying downstairs with teary eyes at the dear word she hadn't heard for years.

Inuyasha lay curled up in the hut, sleeping soundly. His mouth was working as he paddled his hands and feet wildly. "Mmm… nanana!.. grrowrr…" Shippou was tossing and turning as well, dreaming uneasily of a huge swarm of hornets chasing him, eyes aglow. Suddenly, with a wild snort, Inuyasha sat bolt upright, momentarily disoriented. He looked around, exhausted, but knowing he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep. He couldn't ever sleep well lately if Kagome was gone, though she'd be back tomorrow. _Damn girl… I hope she brought me some of that noodle stuff. _He crept outside, stepping softly over a snoring Sango, and sat glumly at the base of a tree, shivering a little.

He pulled Kagome's birthday gift from his belt, having worked almost nonstop during her absence to complete the thing. Miroku had tried to convince him to cut down some lumber for him! Cheeky monk. _Like I just go around chopping down trees! _Besides, he still hadn't talked to Sango about the house thing, and Inuyasha certainly didn't intend to get involved. He rubbed the pendant between his fingers slowly, then pulled out a piece of woven rope and carefully strung it, cursing as he tied a clumsy knot at the end. He held it up, watching it twirl back and forth, seeing Kagome's face in his mind. _I hope she likes it…_

The hanyou flashed back to a sunny day on a hill. He'd just given Kikyo his mother's old possession, a delicate shell of lip stain. He'd been horribly nervous, stomach roiling and head aching, the entire day, full of doubts and fear of rejection.

Inuyasha's brow furrowed. _I don't feel that way about giving Kagome a gift, and I've never really given her anything before._ He poked his stomach; no butterflies. He settled down to wait out the night, happy for some reason he wasn't totally sure of.

The next day saw Kagome up early, jumping up and down on her much-abused backpack, trying to stuff everything inside. It was simply impossible, her mother informed her drowsily as she warmed up some rice. Kagome sighed and surrendered, fetching another bag.

Her mother was the only one who saw her off to the well. "Are you sure you want to go so early, honey?" she yawned. Kagome gave her an impulsive hug.

"Yeah, I miss everyone, and I get nervous when I'm away for too long. I've got all my books, too, so don't worry. I promise I'll try to come back soon, okay? Tell Gramps and Souta I miss them."

"I will. Be very careful, okay? That bruise is still there," her mother warned, hugging her back tightly.

"I always am. And I can't even feel it. Love you!" Kagome smiled at her mom, holding her nose as she jumped into the well as if it were water. The familiar warm colors enfolded her and she drifted through them peacefully, contemplating her seventeenth birthday. _Let's see- in my life I've become an ace shot with a spiritually powered bow, traveled 500 years in the past and battled countless demons, but I've never had a boyfriend or gotten perfect marks. _She hit the ground with a bump, startling her. She loaded up with all her packages and began climbing up eagerly. _I don't think I'm doing too badly, though, considering!_

As her head cleared the edge of the well, she came eye to eye with Inuyasha's cheerful golden gaze. Her heart skipped a beat. She gasped happily, vaulting out of the well. "Inuyasha! Hi! I didn't know you'd be here." He smiled at her, ears pricked.

"Hey. You were sure gone long enough. Get me any good food?" Kagome snorted. Inuyasha picked up her newest bag, poking inside with one clawed finger. "What's in here? You brought more stuff?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. And some of it's for Sango, so stay out," warned Kagome. _I really don't want him pulling out any of my new underwear. _She folded her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow as he looked at her pleadingly with puppy-dog eyes. "That doesn't work on me and you just look silly doing it."

Inuyasha was actually staring at her. She had on a new pair of those strange thick blue pants, hugging her hips tightly, and a wonderfully soft-looking peach-colored sweatshirt that draped snugly over her chest, especially when she crossed her arms like that.

Kagome frowned at him. "What? I'm gonna be carrying it all, don't worry."

The hanyou laughed shortly, tearing his eyes away. "Nah, I don't care." He took a deep breath, thanking the gods that that annoying little kitsune hadn't woken up and followed him out to the well. Inuyasha really didn't want people around when he gave Kagome her present. She was bending over to heave her backpack up when he laid a hand on her arm.

"Huh? What is it?"

"Eh. Well, it's your birthday, ain't it?" he said snappishly.

Kagome's eyes widened and she broke into a sunbeam smile. "You remembered!"

Inuyasha's right ear was wriggling uncomfortably. "Of course I remembered, you think I'm stupid? You made such a big damn deal about it last year. Anyways, I made you somethin'." He dug a hand into his belt and pulled out his carving, looking away, one foot tapping nervously.

Kagome reached out one hand and took it gently. She cupped it in her palm, mouth open in awe. It was lovely luminous white pine wood, carved into a single perfect cherry blossom, faultless in every detail. The carving had obviously been done completely by hand; literally, by claw, in Inuyasha's case. She ran a hand over the silky smooth petals, speechless. _He spent all that time to make me something? It's so pretty._

Inuyasha was dying. He whirled around. "If you don't like it just say so already!" Kagome looked at him, black hair whipping crazily in the wind, before launching herself at him and throwing her arms around his neck.

"Are you crazy? I love it, it's beautiful! Oh, Inuyasha, I can't believe you remembered and made this for me and everything! Thank you so much!" Kagome's eyes were sparkling, though Inuyasha couldn't see, as her face was currently buried in his thick silvery hair.

"Eh. I'm glad you like it, then," he said slowly. "It's been two years exactly since you got here, you know." Kagome nodded into his shoulder. Inuyasha was vastly relieved, both at her return and her reaction to his gift. _She likes it! Yes!_ Seeing she wasn't going anywhere any time soon, he cautiously placed his hands around her waist, noticing that peach top was just as soft as it looked, then recklessly pulled her tighter to him, amber eyes luminous. "Happy birthday, Kagome."

They stood together for a long moment, each breathing in the other's smell, hearts beating faster and faster until Kagome was sure Inuyasha would feel hers against his chest. A tree branch suddenly cracked in the wind, and they broke apart, laughing nervously. Kagome was still beaming uncontrollably and Inuyasha was blushing. "Can you tie it on for me?" Kagome asked shyly. "The knot's too tight." Inuyasha took it, undid it, and looped it over her neck, retying the knot for her and using the opportunity to take a deep whiff of her hair. He stepped back as Kagome looked down at the blossom, picking up her extra sack.

"Coming?"

Kagome looked up, then grabbed her backpack, laughing. "Yeah, hang on!" She ran a few steps to catch up with the hanyou, hesitating a moment before taking his hand. He looked down at their joined hands for a moment before walking on.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer; I own nothing.

"Oooh, everyone, Kagome's back!" shouted Shippou excitedly, abandoning his mock battle with a ferocious nearby bush to fling his arms around his friend's neck. She staggered, giggling, as Miroku and Sango ran out of the hut. "I missed you, Kagome! How's your family? Did you bring me any ninja food?" the kitsune babbled, his tail twirling in delight. Kagome had become like a mother or older sister to him; she was his packmate and he would die for her. Shippou gave her a thorough sniffing before crawling into the hood of her sweatshirt. "Wow, this thing is great! I could ride all day in this!"

Kagome plucked him out gently. "I'll give you some candy later, okay? Everybody's fine at home. Anything interesting happen here?"

Sango and Miroku met eyes, grinning mischievously, then stepped forward. "As a matter of fact, yes," said Sango slowly, eyes dancing. Inuyasha wriggled his nose, smelling the bubbly scent of joy.

"We've set the date for our wedding, three weeks from today," said Miroku, grabbing Sango's hand in his. "Kaede has said that we could hold the ceremony in the village temple, and she'll officiate."

Kagome gave an ear-shattering squeal and ran at Sango, embracing her tightly. "Oh, wow, that's amazing! I'm so happy for you guys!" Sango was laughing wildly as the two started hopping up and down in circles, screaming. Inuyasha promptly covered his ears, shaking his head at the surprise- he'd had no idea, though it was about time- and hauled Kagome's luggage indoors. "Oh, Sango, I nearly forgot! I got you some new clothes, let's go try them on!" They dashed into the hut like a whirlwind, nearly knocking over an exiting Inuyasha, who looked rather terrified.

"Crazy, both of 'em," he commented, elbowing Miroku in the side. "Good thing you finally grew a pair and decided to go through with it." Miroku was grinning like a fool, knowing that this was Inuyasha's way of congratulating him.

"Thanks, Inuyasha," he mocked. "You're so sweet." Inuyasha growled. "But I will require some help building our house, if you don't mind? Sango still doesn't know about that, but we discussed it and decided to keep on exterminating demons for our livelihood." He gave a happy sigh. "Everything has worked out wonderfully. Did Kagome like her birthday present?"

Inuyasha flushed, smiling crookedly. "Yeah."

Miroku raised an eyebrow, noticing the blush. "Was she… appreciative?" He gave a lewd wink.

"Eh, shut up, monk!" Inuyasha snarled, slapping him on the back of his head and stalking away. Shippou blinked, perplexed, then went back to fighting his leafy opponent, anticipating some of Kagome's wonderful food later on.

Inside the hut, Sango was modeling her new jeans for Kagome, hooting in triumph as, after five minutes of struggling, she finally figured out the zipper. "How do they look?" She put her hands on her hips and struck a pose before collapsing in laughter.

"No, you look great!" said Kagome, and she wasn't lying. The jeans were loose enough to allow Sango her accustomed freedom of movement, but still showcased her legs in a way Miroku was sure to appreciate. Sango stuck her hands in the pockets. "Try on your jacket. I figured you'd need one, it's getting winter fast."

Sango held it up to examine it before slipping her arms through the sleeves. She patted it, admiring the sturdy construction and thick lining, using her newfound skill to zip it up. "Thank you, Kagome. I hope you didn't go to that mall place you hate just for me, though. Did you bring anything else from your world?" She pulled the rose-pink hood up over her hair, laughing as it drooped to her nose, pushing it back with slender fingers. Kagome hugged her affectionately, eyes glowing. _It feels so good to be back with everyone- I know that I shouldn't feel that way, but this place is like my home now, and these people are my second family- but I worry that I'll have to go back, now there's no need for me. _

"Well, this outfit's new," she said gamely, shaking off her moment of introspection and standing for inspection. Sango reached out and rubbed a finger along the peach-colored sweatshirt, marveling at the texture.

"What material is this, Kagome?"

"It's just wool."

Sango was astonished. "That's very fine material! The wool we make is nothing like that."

"I wish you could come to my time for a while, you'd never be the same," Kagome grinned. _I told Mom I'd be home for a day soon, she said she needed to do something. _"And I got, um, more pants-" a few nasty bouts of poison oak and she'd sworn off wearing skirts except in the very hottest weather- "a winter coat, some toothpaste for everyone, matches, a flashlight and new batteries…hmm, candy for Shippou and ramen for Inuyasha, and-"

Unfamiliar, angry raised voices from outside interrupted her. Acting on instinct, the women dashed outside, skidding to a halt in the open clearing with weapons at the ready, only to drop them. Kagome, ready for action and veins flooded with adrenaline, was dismayed to find her glowing arrow pointing directly at a surprised Kouga.

She lowered her bow. "Kouga! Sorry, we heard shouting."

Kouga gave a suave grin, blue eyes twinkling, and immediately took her hand, stroking the back of it suggestively. "I'd let you point an arrow at me any day, Kagome. Is this mutt keeping you safe? Because I heard that you'd been in a little trouble lately." Kagome shook her head, reclaiming her hand with difficulty. Inuyasha moved to stand beside her, their shoulders touching. She could hear a deep, soft growl rumbling in his chest and bumped her shoulder against his gently in warning.

"He's doing a really great job," she said firmly, hearing the hanyou's growl quiet. _I hope these two can contain their little spats this time, I hate being referee. If only Kouga would get the idea that I just want to be friends!_ "Not that I can't take care of myself. But is that why you're here? You look hurt." Indeed he did. Kouga was sporting a deeply slashed cheekbone that was swollen like a pigeon's egg, multiple bruises all over his body, and what looked like an infected bite mark on his left arm.

The wolf-demon stuck a finger in his fur headband and scratched, tail whisking back and forth, baritone troubled. "Actually, my tribe is having some heavy problems, Kagome. Hakkaku- he's been killed, and he's not the only one." Kagome's eyes started to water painfully and she squeezed them shut, picturing the bumbling, white-mohawked wolf with grief. _Hakkaku was always so nice to me!_ To her relief, she felt Inuyasha's arm slide around her shoulders, warm and heavy.

She gulped. "What's going on, Kouga?"

His eyes were cloudy. "The dire wolves are back."

It meant nothing to Kagome, but apparently meant something very important indeed to Inuyasha. The comforting weight of his arm slid from her shoulders with a jerk as he took a step back, eyes wide. "The dire wolves that my father banished across the ocean?" he barked. "There ain't no way they're back, Kouga! I thought they were gone for good?"

"Guess not." Kouga's handsome face was grim and looked much more tired than Kagome ever remembered seeing. _What are dire wolves? A new kind of demon? _Kouga noticed her questioning gaze and answered her silent question. "They're demons, real bad news, Kagome. These aren't regular wolves like my pack. They've got no human form, but they're huge and they're mean and they're a hell of a lot smarter than me." _To admit that he must really be in a tight spot,_ Kagome thought worriedly.

Inuyasha spoke up, frowning intently, one pale ear higher than the other. "You're totally sure these are the real deal?" Kouga nodded. "Damn it all to hell! This is bad." The half-demon began pacing back and forth distractedly. Sango stepped forward, hiraikotsu dangling from one wrist.

"How many of these dire wolves are there, Kouga? And why are they attacking the wolf demon packs?"

Kouga sat down crosslegged and pulled his tail around to his lap, toying with the end to keep it from twitching. "So far, we've scouted three large packs. Say five score at the very least. And that's what we can't figure out! They just showed up out of nowhere one day and took us by surprise- damn things have near no scent at all. I figured if anyone could help, you guys could. You took out the birds of paradise, after all, and I heard Naraku's gone too, the bastard." He looked at them wearily. "My pack needs me and I can't help them."

Kagome pulled him up, heart moved. She examined the tooth marks on his arm carefully. "Was this from one of them?"

"Yeah. It won't heal either, no matter what I do. I think there's something in their saliva that keeps wounds from closing." Kagome was aghast. _Those fang marks are so far apart! These dire wolves must be absolutely gigantic!_ She led the tired wolf demon into the hut to try and cleanse his injuries. Inuyasha shook his head as the others followed, making the hut rather cramped once they were all inside.

Shippou followed as well, having been drawn in from his play by the scent of a wolf. He wriggled inside among the others' legs, though he stayed prudently behind Kirara. Wolves liked fox meat. _I wonder if this means we're going on another adventure? _In the kitsune's opinion, life had been much too dull since the defeat of Naraku, and Inuyasha hadn't even done anything interesting with that jewel they'd all been hunting for so long. _I'm beginning to think it doesn't even do anything!_


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

"Stop being such a baby!" said Kagome, wrestling with a cringing Kouga. "Inuyasha's never like this when I have to dress his wounds!" The hanyou gave his rival a smirk and raised a brow, at which Kouga immediately offered his arm to Kagome, scowling. She grinned, promptly dumping hydrogen peroxide on his oozing bite marks.

"AAH!" he roared, tearing his arm away and cowering against the wall. "Why would you try to poison me, Kagome?!"

She rolled her eyes. Inuyasha was lying on the floor, laughing uncontrollably, tears sliding down his cheeks at the wolf's reaction. "I'm sorry, Kouga, but it's the best thing there is for keeping infection away and helping wounds heal. Come on, the worst is over." She patted his head comfortingly.

Sango, Miroku, Kirara and Shippou were eating their dinner next to the fire pit, and after bandaging Kouga's injured arm, the others joined them. There was a moment of silence, broken by the horrendous sounds of Inuyasha inhaling a bowl of rice and fish.

"Pig," said Kouga in disgust. Inuyasha just shot him a dirty look and a muffled growl. "So, will you help us? It's going to be dangerous, but there's no choice left to us except fight back." The comrades exchanged glances before nodding simultaneously.

Inuyasha put down his empty bowl with a contented sigh. "Aah! Duh, we're gonna help you. After all, you're just a mangy wolf, you couldn't be expected to do it alone." The wolf demon's blue eyes narrowed and his tail gave a warning flip. "But dire wolves are bad business," Inuyasha conceded grudgingly, knowing how their bickering bothered Kagome.

She leaned forward, blowing her bangs from her eyes. "Inuyasha, you mentioned something about your father banishing these demons? What's that about?"

He shrugged. "Well, about a century ago, these dire wolves started really gettin' to be a nuisance, and their pack was growin' fast. So my old man challenged their leader to a duel- whoever lost had to take their pack and go overseas, far as they could, and never come back." He paused a moment. "The dog packs were a lot bigger back then... anyways, Inutaisho won, but he was outta commission for a year or so, I think. The dire wolves took off just like they said they would." Kagome looked at him, his golden eyes shining and thoughtful in the evening light as he continued. "You know, I actually remember my mom talkin' something about them. She said her grandmother and her dad were killed by them way back when. I guess they finally heard Inutaisho was dead and figured they could come back."

"So, it's a bit of a family feud," Miroku guessed. "They've come back for the descendants of the demon who banished them?"

Inuyasha wrinkled his nose dismissively. "Nah, I doubt it. They knew he was a dog demon; why would they go after the wolves? I think they just got bored or something and wanted to have some fun, that's what they do."

Kagome was pensive. _These dire wolves sound really awful. Of course we'll help Kouga, but I wonder why they're back? _A thought struck her. _Now I know for sure I have a good reason to stay here a while longer! _

Shippou looked from Inuyasha to Kouga. They both looked moody and stressed but he decided to chance a question. "So where's your pack, Kouga? Are they attacking anyone else?"

The wolf laughed, fangs glinting. "Just about everything they can fit their dirty teeth around. It hasn't got quite over the eastern mountains, though, I'm not really surprised you haven't noticed nothing yet. They were going after the panthers, but they've gone into hiding somewhere."

"Damn weak cats," grumbled Inuyasha.

"Yeah." Kouga glanced at him. "They've been hitting every village in sight, big or small, every demon they come across, and winter coming on won't stop them. My pack's with Ayame's now, we've gone to ground by the double-topped mountain. Two other packs tagged along, so most of the wolves are in that same valley, there's some really great caves."

Sango was polishing her hiraikotsu, jean-clad legs comfortably crossed. "Then we'll leave early tomorrow for that mountain. On the way you can tell us more, Kouga."

The wolf nodded. "Sounds good. Uh- thanks for helping."

Shippou stood up and stretched dramatically, giving a squeaky yawn. "You're welcome! I'm going to bed early, guys." Sango, Miroku and the tired wolf agreed enthusiastically. Inuyasha and Kagome stayed up, feeding the fire as the light grew dimmer.

The hanyou gave her a suspicious look. "Why're you so jumpy?"

She jumped. "I'm not! It's just..."

"What?"

"Well, my mother asked me to please come home again as soon as possible, even if it's only for an hour. She said it was pretty important, and if we're going to Kouga's den we'll be gone for quite a while. I was thinking I should drop in quickly tonight."

Inuyasha threw his hands up in disgust. "You and your mother! Fine, we'll go." He kicked Shippou. "Hey, tell everyone Kagome went home again if they get up. We oughta be back soon. The kitsune shrugged sleepily.

Kagome blinked. "We?"

"I'm coming with you. Someone's gotta make sure you're back on time, right?"

She smiled, standing up and pulling on her new coat. _Wow, am I glad I got this, it's toasty!_ "Let's go, then."

The walk to the well was fairly short, taking about forty-five minutes. Kagome found herself playing absently with her cherry-blossom pendant, and glanced over to see Inuyasha looking at her teasingly.

She punched him on the arm, flushing. "Yeah, I like it a lot, okay? Don't be so cocky." He chuckled as she almost fell into the well. _Oww! Gods, I thought I would grow out of this clumsy stage. _

"Ready?" asked the hanyou, picking her up. She nodded and he jumped into the sparkling borealis well. They drifted for a moment until the colors spat them out. Kagome's house was dark; either her family was out or had already turned in for the night. She opened the door quietly, peering inside.

"Hello? Mom? Souta? Gramps?" Inuyasha shoved her inside impatiently. She slit her eyes at him. "I'll go get my mom, jeez. You stay here. Get some food or something and for the gods' sakes try not to be too loud." He waved a hand dismissively, already up to his shoulders in the refrigerator.

She headed upstairs to her mother's room, tiptoeing. _I shouldn't wake Souta, he has school tomorrow and he won't sleep for two days if he sees Inuyasha's here! _Her mother's door was open, and she knocked lightly so as not to scare her, stepping inside to see Mrs. Higurashi sitting on her bed, reading something.

Her mother looked up, surprised. "Kagome! Oh, good, honey, you did come back!"

Kagome went over and hugged her mom, beaming. "Yeah, sure did! But it may be quite a while before I'm able to come back again. There's a new tribe of demons that are making a lot of trouble for Kouga's wolf pack, and he needs some help."

Her mother bit her lip. "Promise me you'll be careful, Kagome?" The girl nodded, eyes earnest. Her mother kissed her on the forehead, going to her closet and rummaging around. "I wanted you to come back for your birthday gifts. It didn't feel right giving them to you before you were actually seventeen."

Kagome giggled. "7:43 P.M.!"

"That's right. Your father was always very particular about that- I remember once he wouldn't give you your birthday gift and you got so frustrated! Ah, here it is, your presents." An evil grin accompanied them.

Kagome giggled. "Which one should I open first?" Her mother tapped the larger one. "'Kay!" She proceeded to shred the paper like a wildcat, leaving ribbons all over the floor as she pulled out a brand-new modern quiver. It was gorgeous, sleek and sturdy, made of a double-layer of waterproofed black material, super lightweight, with an adjustable strap. Kagome slung it on; it hung perfectly. "Oh, mom! This is great, this is so much better than the nasty leather one I've been using! Thank you so much!" She planted a firm kiss on her mom's cheek, eliciting a fond smile.

"I thought that would come in handy. I'm always afraid you'll get a hole in the old one and all your arrows will drop out one by one, just before you need them! Go on, open the other one."

Kagome raised a brow. "The gag gift?"

"Of course, honey!"

Kagome destroyed the wrapping in record time, reaching in the box cautiously, having learned from past experience. Nothing jumped out or moved. She felt around and pulled out a slim hardback book, with a totally empty pink-and-red cover. _No words? Is it a diary? There's got to be something funny about it. _She turned it over, seeing nothing, then opened the cover.

"Dear gods!" she shrieked, clapping it shut. _Crap, I hope no one heard that! Why on earth would my own mother get me this? _"Mom, this is- this is a _sex _book!" Her face was on fire, she was sure smoke would come steaming out of her ears any moment.

Mrs. Higurashi pulled her down on the bed, struggling not to laugh. "I'm aware of that, honey. But I figured that maybe you could find a use for it? You're on birth control... there must be a reason, no?"

Kagome shook her head vehemently. "Mom, you know I've never done anything! I've never even had a real kiss! It's just- it makes my periods lighter! Periods absolutely suck when you're always busy!" She didn't want to tell her mother rest of the truth as to why she had gotten her birth control arm implant, though a quick and light period was definitely a benefit. Rape was horribly common in the feudal era, and Kagome had seen some and heard some stories she didn't ever want to have to live through herself. Her implant meant three years of mental security.

"Calm down. I just thought you might be curious, and when you, ah, finally meet the right guy and decide you're ready, you'll have that handy. What with you gone all the time we hardly ever get to have these kinds of talks anymore." A mischievous gleam entered her eyes. "Or have you found the right guy already?" she teased.

Kagome grimaced comically as she stuffed the book into the quiver. "I have not, and I would tell you, I mean, if I had! Give me a break." She paused, then pulled the pendant out of the neck of her sweatshirt. "He remembered my birthday, mom." Her mother admired it wordlessly, then sighed and gave her daughter a big hug.

"Go on, darling. Help out your friend, but come back as soon as you can, okay? I love you." Kagome sniffed, nodding, before giving one last squeeze and heading downstairs to Inuyasha.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer; I own nothing.

The next morning was the coldest yet of the year, the skies grey and cloudy. The group packed quickly, having long ago learned to travel lightly at the slightest notice, and sealed the hut carefully with one of Miroku's sutras. Kouga's arm was improving and the swelling had gone down. He was eager to go, though running had lost a little of its spark since his shards had been given away- but he was still a wolf and could run for days. Miroku, Sango, and Shippou hitched rides on Kirara. Kagome had a short moment of indecision- _I guess I'm riding my bike the whole way?_- before Inuyasha crouched. "Get on already, we're burning daylight," he said shortly. She hopped on happily, leaving the bike hidden in a bush. The hanyou tucked his hands securely under her thighs before taking off, Kouga running beside.

Inuyasha was sleepy after the long night of emptying Kagome's kitchen of anything remotely edible. _Kagome sure woke me up, _he thought, ears twitching in pleasure at her soft weight on his back. _I miss those skirts, though, bare skin was nicer than those jeans… although I can grab a little higher up when she wears these pant things without risking a sit... _He shook his head, the memory of her in Tsubasa's tiny outfit wafting through his mind. Kouga looked sideways, frowning, then sped up a little.

Kagome leaned forward and put her lips by Inuyasha's ear, startling him a little with her warm breath. "Hey, Inuyasha," she whispered. Kouga cocked his head, listening.

"What?"

"Thanks for last night. I know it was late and all but I really enjoyed it."

The hanyou just shrugged, smiling slightly. "Anytime."

Kouga almost tripped. "What's your problem, smell a rottin' rabbit and get distracted?" mocked Inuyasha, one eyebrow raised at the uncharacteristic clumsiness. Kouga didn't answer, shocked by what he'd heard. _What exactly happened last night? What did she enjoy that she'd thanking him for? If he's laid a hand on my woman I'll rip it off! _He realized he was clenching his fists and made himself stop. _I never thought Kagome was like that!_

Their journey was quiet until lunch, everyone saving their breath for the road. Kagome finally called a halt, ignoring Inuyasha's complaints. Kouga flopped down under a tree, then leaped up with an annoyed yowl, having soaked himself on the dewy grass. The hanyou gave a snicker. Kouga turned towards him, fangs prominently displayed and with a wrathfully whipping tail. He gave a low snarl, stepping towards Inuyasha, who stood his ground, taken aback by such an obvious display of dominance. _What the hell? He's acting like I snatched a bite out from under his nose or somethin'! _"Kouga, what's your problem?" he said out loud. Kagome turned from her sandwich just in time to see the wolf blur towards Inuyasha's exposed throat.

There was blinding flash of light and Kouga was dashed to the ground, whimpering in pain. Sango gave a shout of surprise at the speed everything had taken place. Kagome lowered her arm, dropping the bloody-tipped arrow with trembling fingers. "Oh! Kouga, I'm sorry! I just- I thought that you were going to bite-"

Inuyasha stepped in front of her, eyeing the still snarling wolf. "He was, he woulda got me if you hadn't done that, Kagome. I didn't think you wanted to start all this again, wolf. What the fuck's a matter with you, you got rabies?" His claws were out and his ears were pinned back, eyes

narrowed dangerously.

Kouga showed his teeth, crouching. " I don't like you puttin' your hands all over Kagome! She's riding on your back now- not the first time she's rode you, is it?"

Kagome stomped her foot furiously, eyes practically aglow. "_Excuse me_?! Listen, Kouga, we're doing you a favor here, and I'm sorry I had to hurt you but you're acting pretty crazy if you ask me! You need our help, Kouga, your pack's in danger, so what the hell are you doing calling me a- a floozy to my face!" She was incandescent with rage.

The wolf demon frowned. _I didn't mean to say anything like that about Kagome, my instincts just took over. She says nothing happened, I believe in her. _He stood up slowly. "You're right, I'm sorry. This is just a big misunderstanding, all right, mutt? I thought somethin' that I guess wasn't true."

"Damn right," muttered Kagome. "And for the last time, I am NOT your woman and never WILL be!"

Kouga sighed, absently raising an arm to lick the stream of blood trickling down it. "I'm sorry, Kagome. I really am, but when you love someone they way I love you it's hard to see them go to another." She immediately turned crimson.

"Uh- well, that's sweet, but- another?" She shook her head, turning back to her food. "Just control yourself, all right? Whatever's bothering you, deal with it, we're going to help you." She paused, tapping her bow. "And don't ever attack Inuyasha on the sly like that again."

Kouga's tail was between his legs as he sat down beside her timidly on the dry road. "Okay."

Inuyasha leaned up against a tree, crossing his arms, suspicious, though secretly rather pleased at Kagome's reaction on his behalf. _That wolf sure is actin' funny. Funnier than normal, I mean. Sounded like he thinks me and Kagome are up to something._

Miroku decided that eating delicious food in bad-tempered company was no good; someone had to break the icy silence surrounding the group. He cleared his throat. "Is that a new quiver, Kagome? It's very high quality, I've never seen anything like it before."

She nodded, patting it with a grin, trying to forget about the unopened book smashed in the bottom of her backpack. "Yeah, my mom gave it to me for my birthday."

"She did? When? I didn't notice it before," said Sango in puzzlement.

"Last night! I went back for a couple of hours to tell her I might not be back for quite a while. Didn't Shippou tell you?" She frowned at the shrinking kitsune.

"Uh- no," said Sango, flushing. "We, uh, just noticed you both were gone, and…"

Shippou was trying to disappear. Inuyasha strode over, picking up the fox by his fluffy tail, giving him a rough shake. "You just let everyone think we went off alone? I told you to tell them precisely so they wouldn't think- _that_, or get worried, you idiotic pup!"

Shippou was wriggling frantically, panting in fear. "I'm sorry! I just forgot, no one asked me! Everyone was talking and I thought it was funny, don't let him hit me, Kagome!"

She considered, than waved her hand. "Go ahead, Inuyasha." _Thunk. _Inuyasha dropped the teary kitsune on the ground with a last warning show of teeth. Kagome went over and knelt by him. "Shippou, this time it wasn't very important- all that happened is a misunderstanding. But next time it might be really important, so if we tell you to pass on a message, make sure you do so, all right?" She repented and gave him a hug._ I know he's young, but he definitely needs to learn a lesson- after all, it's not like we ever ask much of him!_

Inuyasha snorted grumpily, not liking this bad start to the journey. "How much farther to your pack, Kouga? 'Bout three days or so?" Kouga nodded, looking submissively down. "Let's go, then, everyone. Load up." Kagome was clutching her wooden bloom tightly, still angry, as she climbed on Inuyasha's back. A loud wind started up, shaking the trees and chilling her. She clung tightly to Inuyasha, burying her face in his long pale hair- _he's so warm!_

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. They made good time, but as evening drew on, it grew darker and darker, thick clouds roiling overhead, until finally a light sprinkle began falling. Inuyasha called a halt, nose sniffing hard. "It's going to storm pretty bad tonight," he called over the rain. "We'd better find some place to spend the night, I think there's a cave around here somewhere."

"I sure hope so!" said Sango fervently, holding her hiraikotsu over her head.. Kirara got very angry when she got wet. They hunted for over an hour, but found no cave. _This is terrible! _thought Kagome, slogging through the mud, having hopped off Inuyasha. _Tonight's going to be awful. _She dug in her backpack and pulled on her new coat, just as Kouga's eyes narrowed.

"Look up ahead! That tree's gigantic, we can probably avoid the worst of the rain if we get under it," he called. They went to investigate, Miroku giving a sudden, graphic curse as a fat drop of rain slid down the back of his neck. The group was a sorry sight, Inuyasha's long hair plastered flat and Miroku's thick robes heavy with water. Kagome was getting grouchy but didn't complain. _I wish I had an umbrella, _she thought wistfully. Her last one had been smashed when Kirara accidentally laid on it. They reached the tree with relief. Under the heavy canopy, the rain couldn't really penetrate, though the wind was blowing some in and the cold was still pronounced.

"It'll do," said Inuyasha. Everyone found a seat on the gnarled roots of the ancient tree, knowing tonight was going to be uncomfortable and damp. The tree itself was quite a sight; the bark was gnarled and the trunk was of gigantic girth. Miroku threw an arm around Sango, and for once she kept it there, enjoying the extra bit of warmth, drowsing off slowly. Kagome pulled her hood over her head and her sleeves over her hands, drawing her knees to her chest in an effort to stay warm. Inuyasha looked up at the sound of chattering teeth; Kagome's lips were practically blue. He jumped lightly up beside her, flicking one ear violently and sending raindrops into her face. She giggled. "Are you okay?"

She gave an unconvincing grin. "Y-y-yeah."

The hanyou snorted. "No you're not, dummy." He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him. She blushed hotly, staring determinedly out at the pounding rain. Inuyasha was smiling unconsciously as he fell asleep. _That was sweet of him,_ thought Kagome, laying her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes in contentment. Inuyasha pulled her closer in his sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

What woke Inuyasha was the abrupt removal of Kagome's warm weight on his chest, followed by a piercing shriek and a strange groaning noise. He jolted awake, whipping out Testusaiga as his nose caught the pungent scent of fresh-cut wood. The sky was still inky-dark, but he could make out Kagome's flailing form fairly easily with his half-demon vision. The hanyou gaped for a moment, bounding away from the tree as the others woke up to Kagome's screams. She was being held aloft by a tree branch wrapped tightly around her middle, shaking her roughly up and down.

Inuyasha gave a roar of panic. "Everyone! Away from the tree!" He bounded like lightning up into the whipping branches, narrowly avoiding a few hits. Kagome was pounding on the tree's bark, gasping painfully for air as her ribs contracted. She saw a dark blur of crimson streaking towards her. _Thank the gods! Inuyasha, help me! _Every tooth in the hanyou's mouth was showing as he swung the Tetsusaiga down on the bough imprisoning her.

Down below, Kouga let out a whine as he saw the sword bounce off with bone-shaking force, sending Inuyasha wheeling away and leaving the branch with only a small scar, gently weeping pinkish sap. "Kagome's gonna get smashed!" He was up and away without a thought.

Sango started up as well before Miroku laid a hand on her arm. "Let Inuyasha take care of this," he said worriedly, peering up into the thrashing branches. "There's no way you could avoid getting hit, Sango." The demon-slayer was shaking from inaction, hating the sidelines, scared for her friend.

Kagome could no longer breathe. Spots whirled in front of her eyes as Inuyasha laid about madly, hacking at the dark branches. Blazes of light passed in front of her as he used his windscar with a roar, but it reflected off the armor-like bark. Her ears rang as consciousness faded in and out. _Inuyasha!_ The hanyou paused for a moment in absolute terror as he saw her head lolling about, snapped roughly as the branch shook, leaves rustling. _Nothing's working! _He glimpsed a tawny flash out of the side of his vision as Kouga landed next to him, clinging to a bucking branch with all fours.

"We have to help Kagome!" he yelled.

"What do you think I'm trying to do?" Inuyasha shouted back, the whites of his eyes showing. "Stand back!" He concentrated, dodging another branch, as a wind began to swirl around his sword. He aimed carefully, face contorting in effort as his adamant barrage lodged huge slivers of diamond deep into the bough holding Kagome.

A distant squealing roar echoed out from the tree as it gave a massive ripple of pain, throwing Kouga and Inuyasha away. Kagome was tossed unceremoniously into the air and went spiraling towards the ground like a rag doll. Inuyasha shook his head and blasted towards her, diving to catch her in the nick of time. They skidded for almost thirty feet until Inuyasha could pull his feet under himself to stop them. Kagome moaned, eyelids fluttering as she took in a convulsive breath. "Come on, come on," muttered Inuyasha, jabbing her in the ribs. He nearly collapsed in relief as she began to breathe evenly, chest rising and falling. Miroku, Sango and Shippou came zig-zagging up, avoiding the twigs falling from the tantrum the tree was giving. Kouga wasn't far behind, his blue eyes locked on Kagome. Inuyasha looked up at the circle around him, not noticing the clay smeared on his firerat or the bleeding scratches on his arms and face. "She's okay!" Kagome opened her deep brown eyes slowly, face pale. She squinted, trying to focus in the dark, feeling strong arms around her.

"Inuyasha? What happened? Ow..."

He laughed a little hysterically. "That tree back there-" he jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the plant, which was casting about angrily on the ground with its limbs- "got a little violent. I don't know if it's a demon or what but I was a bit worried for a while." Kagome was trying to sit up, wincing as her bruised ribs gave a twinge. "You feelin' all right? Gods, you are so damn accident prone, if I didn't know better I'd think you did it on purpose just to irritate me."

She laughed weakly and smiled at her friends' concerned faces. "I'll be fine." Then she gasped, hitting a palm to her forehead. "My bow, my packpack! Everything's still under that damn tree!"

"Language, Kagome," chided a relieved Kouga, smirking. "I'll go get 'em, the tree's quieting down anyways." He took off into the windy darkness.

"Are you sure you're all right, Kagome?" chirped Shippou, hair sticking up in every direction. She nodded. The rest of the group walked cautiously back to the tree, hoping to be able to dash in and snatch their packs before it noticed them. The wind increased, bringing a short shower of rain.

"Whew," said Kagome, curling up in Inuyasha's lap. He bit his lip as she grimaced in pain. "Um, can I just stay here a while longer, Inuyasha?" she said timidly.

"As if I'd let you leave, stupid," he said gruffly, bowing his head until his hair fell around her like a curtain. She opened her mouth to say something, then shut it again, tenderly feeling her bruised body for injuries. The hanyou was struck by remorse. _I can't believe I didn't scent that demon tree! We camped under the damn thing, and I should have noticed that I didn't remember such a large tree in this area! Kagome almost got killed because I was careless. _He clenched his fists. _I won't let it happen again. We may have promised to help Kouga but Kagome won't give her life because my stupid sword didn't work._

Kagome looked up at him, having decided that she was pretty much whole. "It's not your fault, Inuyasha," she said unexpectedly, pushing her sopping bangs from her face with the back of one hand. "If none of the rest of us noticed anything either, that tree was doing a really good job of playing normal. I'm not hurt. Don't worry about it, okay?"

"I do worry about you, dummy! You're always going off and gettin' in some tight spot I gotta get you out of," he said roughly, standing up with her in his arms. "Can you stand?"

"Uh, yeah, I think so." _Is he really mad at me this time? _She looked into his eyes as he set her down gently, golden meeting brown. What she saw startled her. _I guess he was just worried about me. _She blushed as he kept his gaze trained on her. "Thanks, Inuyasha... um, it looks like Kouga saved my stuff! We probably ought to find another tree to camp under, right? Definitely, 'cuz rain is bad! Gets everything all wet and damp and wet and..." Kagome became aware she was babbling as he slid one hot hand around to the back of her neck. She gulped as he got closer and closer... _What's he doing? Is he going to- gods, he is! _The hanyou's lips met hers, soft and smooth, feeling like heaven and fire against her own. She leaned against him, feeling as if sparks were playing over her body- until he pulled away, face scarlet and ears shaking.

"Sorry! Sorry," he whispered. She put a hand to her lips, stunned, eyes liquid. He winced. _I shouldn't have done that! She's gonna sit me or go home and never come back! Crap, crap, crap, moron, idiot! _

"Inuyasha... you kissed me," she said slowly. He looked away as the others approached, not having seen their kiss in the dark. "Don't be sorry!" He turned back to her, brows scruched together in utter confusion.

"You're not mad?"

She was looking at him funny, and he wasn't sure he liked what it did to his heart. "No! I-" she glanced sideways as the others emerged out of the night. "Let's talk later, ok?" Her face was earnest, a little perplexed, and anxious. He nodded, a mish-mash of emotions boiling inside him, trying to keep his face straight.

"That tree thing's gone back asleep," panted Kouga, for once oblivious to the little drama playing out in front of him. "I got your stuff, Kagome, but we'll have to find another tree for the rest of the night, and we'll prolly end up wet through." He pulled on the end of his tail awkwardly. "Thanks, guys."

Sango smiled. "It'll be worth it if we can clear the land of those demons and save your kin, Kouga. No worries."

Inuyasha bent down, helping Kagome onto his back, mindful of her bruises. "Let's go, then, already! Goddamn lazy humans," he snapped viciously.

Kouga showed a fang. "Count me out of that category," he growled, following in irritation as a fresh rain soaked his fur.

Sango, Shippou and the monk just rolled their eyes, used to Inuyasha's mood swings and grumpiness. Inuyasha bounded ahead in the night, taking extra care, highly aware of the soft burden on his back. Kagome was frowning, ecstatic and at the same time, dismayed. _My first kiss! I can't believe he finally made a move- does he like me the way I hope, then? Why did he act like that? _She sighed shakily as cold rain rolled down her cheeks.

Author: So! A kiss! I don't really like how I wrote this chapter, but I can't figure out exactly why I don't like it, so if you also don't like it, please, tell me why! Also, tell me if you DO by chance like it. :) Thanks everyone.


	15. Chapter 15

Miroku leaned his head against Sango's shoulders as Kirara bounded lithely ahead, sneezing wildly as a strand of her long hair tickled his nose. She shoved him off, not unkindly. "Don't even try and say you have allergies. You've been sick ever since that rainstorm," she accused. He protested vehemently, but by the time they laid camp on the evening of the third day, his watering eyes, choked voice and chronic sneezes gave him away. Sango tucked him comfortably by the fire and fed him stew- keeping her iron slayer's mask on all the while, determined to avoid getting sick and missing out on the chance to fight these exciting new demons.

Kouga was restless, pacing and staring out into the night, brow furrowed and tail swishing, with no sign of his pack yet. Hopefully they'd stayed put in the upper valley's caverns, but he almost wished he could leave Kagome behind and go on ahead. His callused feet were tingling with the urge to join and protect his people. The wolf, noticing that his circling seemed to be bothering Kagome, forced himself to sit down, though his tail continued to twitch. He took several deep breaths and began going over plans for attack in his head, trying to ignore the strange mish-mash of scents coming from Kagome and Inuyasha. _I guess I've finally admitted Kagome will never be mine, _he thought sadly, distracted for a moment. _She never felt for me like I did for her… but to be honest, I don't those feelings were never more than a powerful crush. She's so beautiful but I'm just not her type. Pity. _He started licking a wound.

Kagome was indeed bothered, though not by Kouga's pacing. Ever since kissing her, Inuyasha was growing more and more physical. She'd pulled him aside the day after the battle with the demon tree, flushing furiously but determined to talk about what had happened. To her surprise, he'd simply planted another kiss on her lips and told her gruffly that he liked her a lot, and unless she had problem with his being a hanyou, he'd keep on liking her.

She'd stared at him with one raised eyebrow, perplexed and bright pink to the roots of her hair. "Um- no- you know I don't care, that's silly! I just never thought that you'd ever, I don't know-" Inuyasha had grinned at her and walked off jauntily, pale ears perked. She had to restrain the urges to both sit him and tackle him from joy at the same time, her emotions were going so wild.

The contact was getting to be a bit much for her, however. _I like it, I'm not denying that- but we're heading into a really dangerous situation, and I'd much rather be discussing battle strategies or resting than being so distracted! Besides, it makes me feel awkward in front of everyone. _This very instant she was distracted, as Inuyasha came up beside her and let a possessive hand rest on her shoulder, running a claw absently through her inky hair. She shivered at the contact, lips parting a little. _I definitely like it… but I've never done anything with a guy, or even kissed anyone but Inuyasha! It's just a little scary the way he's all over me. What if I'm supposed to do something but I look like an idiot? I'm sure Inuyasha's been with women before- he's much older than I am. _She scowled unconsciously at the thought. He was finally, _finally_ hers after two years of absolute hell and dammit, she'd make any other woman who looked at him into a pincushion without a second thought.

The hanyou accepted the bowl of venison stew that Sango handed him. "It hasn't been anywhere near the monk, has it?" he teased, sitting down and digging in enthusiastically. Kagome let out a breath as his hand left her hair. Miroku shot Inuyasha a dirty glare from swollen eyes, sniffling before blowing his nose with a phenomenal trumpet-like honk. The scarlet-clothed hanyou slurped up a noodle, glancing up at Kagome. He reached a hand to her thigh, pulling her down beside him. "Sit, the ground ain't wet," he told her, leaving one hand on her leg. She smiled a bit stiffly, leaning her side against his.

"Yeah… uh, how's the soup?"

"Good. Want some?"

She shook her head. "Nah, thanks." He shrugged and kept on stuffing himself, making her giggle. He looked back at her, one silvery eyebrow raised. "What?" She bit her lip, trying to keep a straight face at the massive bites he was forcing down his throat. Across the fire, Sango smiled at her friend, admiring how cute she and the hanyou looked cuddling._ About time, though I never expected Inuyasha to be the one to make the first move!_

Inuyasha was having the happiest few days he could remember in a long while, maybe even ever. _Kagome's mine, finally, she didn't say no! And gods, she's beautiful. Those lips… _He could finally let himself picture her without feeling like a pervert, and indulged every chance he got. Just being able to finally touch her was intoxicating, even if it wasn't exactly the way he'd dreamed of and Miroku had told him about many times, to his great irritation.

Shippou came up to Kagome, eyes artfully big and pleading. "Hey Kagome? Can I have one of those lollipops?"

She eyed him in mock sternness. "Promise you'll brush your teeth right after?" At his eager nod she laughed and leaned over the grab the strap on her backpack, unintentionally presenting her jean-clad backside to Inuyasha. His golden eyes were large as he slowly slid his hand around the back of her toned thigh.

Kagome gave a startled shriek, drawing Kouga out of his intense thoughts. "Inuyasha! Sit!" He hit the ground with a spray of pebbles, Shippou barely getting out of the way. Inuyasha heaved himself up, face nearly purple with embarrassment and confusion.

"What the hell, Kagome?" he yelled. She took a step back, clutching her backpack as if it held the answers she was hunting for.

"You- you- you pulled a Miroku!" she sputtered, chocolate eyes hurt. Inuyasha stood up, trying to pretend the others weren't there, his ego as wounded as if Kagome had stepped on it, spit on it then tossed it to Kouga to play with. _She's rejecting me now? In front of every one? What the fuck's she playing at?_

"So? I thought you wouldn't care! I mean-" he trailed off, frustrated. He found to his horror that he couldn't smell what she was feeling- there were too many people, the rain damped down the air, and that stupid soup had pepper in it. Kagome just looked at him, heart hurting, trying to find words to express that she was nervous and afraid. _He's so mad! Oh, gods, I finally get to be with Inuyasha after all this time and I ruin it because I'm a big baby who doesn't know how to have a guy touch her! _Sparkling tears welled in her eyes as he whirled away and stalked off into the forest. She heard loud stomping steps fade away and sat down with a thump.

"Uh… here, Shippou," she murmured in distress, rummaging through her pack and handing the suddenly quiet kitsune a cherry candy. Miroku sneezed again before clearing his throat heroically.

"Kagobe? You've neber had a real relationshib before, hab you?" he said quietly. She wouldn't look at him, but nodded. "An' id makes you nervous when Iduyasha touches you, am I right? Don'd worry, we're all your friends here," he added at her stricken look. Sango nodded, looking worried. Kagome sighed, drawing her knees up to her chest.

"No, I haven't, all right?" she blurted out, freckles disappearing in a wave of pink. Miroku nodded before giving a hacking cough.

"So if id's boddering you, just go talk to him aboud id," he told her.

Sango nodded again. "That's what Miroku and I do." She turned to give the monk a flat stare. "Believe me, we've had to talk _a lot._" The monk gulped and offered her a sickly smile.

Kagome's brow was furrowed. _This is awful! He looked so upset when he stormed off- really upset, not just like he gets when I'm teasing him or being bossy or anything! _She stood up decisively, brushing herself off before following Inuyasha into the dark trees. "I'll be back, guys. Uh- thanks, Miroku." She noticed Kouga's eyes weren't the fiery balls of rage she'd expected. _Thank goodness! I am really not looking forward to explaining to Inuyasha, but it's my fault, I have to make it right. _She pressed a hand to her tense stomach as soaring black trunks enfolded her.

"Inuyasha?" Utter silence. She persevered, throat tight, knowing he wouldn't go far and leave the group unprotected. "Inuyasha, I'm sorry! I just- I need to talk to you." More silence, but her finely-tuned senses caught the faintest waft of diluted demonic aura in a tall tree to her right. Two years of demon-hunting had its benefits, it appeared. She kept talking, averting her eyes. "You're the first guy who's ever told me he liked me. That I liked back, I mean. And you're the first guy I've ever kissed, or held hands with, or anything at all! When you're all over me it scares me a little, because I don't know what you expect, and this is so, so new to both of us..." Kagome felt uncomfortably hot, as if her insides were exposed to the world, and the world was ignoring them. "I- I like you too, a lot, Inuyasha."

He dropped down in front of her, scarlet sleeves flying like bat's wings, so fast that her hair was blown back. His amber eyes were narrow. "Are you lying to me, Kagome?"

She snorted. "As if I would lie to you, you can smell it because I get nervous when I lie, remember?"

Inuyasha breathed deep, then made a wry face. "Yeah. I guess this whole thing makes me nervous too, I just thought- I dunno, I must have been hanging around Miroku too much." Kagome smiled hesitantly. _He's not mad anymore? Or… what? _"I'm sorry for, uh, touching you like that," he continued grudgingly, never one to apologize.

Kagome swallowed and stepped forward, sliding her arms around his waist and holding him tightly, hiding her bright face against his chest. "I don't mind touching you! I- I like it. And I'm sorry I did that in front of everyone. It's just, maybe we could start small at first? Hugs and holding hands instead of, ah, ass grabbing?" Inuyasha smiled in relief, nuzzling his face against her neck until she pulled away with a laugh. "Aah! Ticklish, remember?"

"Ok, fine," he said, eyes glowing mischievously, before pulling her back to him. He looked down into her suddenly still face, taking in every feature carefully, rosebud lips, soft lashes, deep black hair that smelled so glorious. _She's so perfect, I can't believe no one's been with her before. _Kagome's mouth quirked.

"What?"

He raised an eyebrow, giving her a devilish smile and flicking one ear. "Can I kiss you?" She pretended to consider it, putting one finger on her cheek and looking sideways, as Inuyasha gave a mock-warning growl.

"Oh, I guess so-" The hanyou promptly leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, eliciting a happy if muffled giggle. Kagome was on cloud nine. _He's for sure not mad at me anymore! _A warm tingle spread over her body as Inuyasha deepened the kiss, gently nipping her bottom lip. She found her hands buried in his lush hair, pulling him closer hungrily.

_Whoah, what are you doing, Kagome? Calm down! _Inuyasha gave a tiny little blissful moan when she began rubbing the base of his ears, sliding his warm hands around her waist. _Never mind… _Kagome parted her lips, just a little, wanting to see what he'd do. He responded enthusiastically and she found herself receiving her first French kiss ever. It was absolutely, knee-shakingly phenomenal and she had to bite back a moan herself. Feeling brave, she opened wider, heart bounding like a gazelle as she traced his fangs with her tongue.

Inuyasha was the one to finally break the kiss, though not without a quiet growl. He took a deep breath. "Gods, Kagome, you sure you've never kissed a guy before?"

She was surprised as she snuggled up to him, soaking in the warmth. "No, why?"

He shrugged a little, ears limp with delight. "Eh, you're just damn good at it, that's all." The hanyou could smell her happiness despite the rain, now that she was so close. "Come on, let's go back to camp. Slowly, with no ass grabbin', right?" She reached up to tweak an ear.

"Right. Thanks, Inuyasha."

He almost burst out laughing. _I haven't felt like this since- since I can't even remember._ "Anytime!"

Author says: Again, any comments and reviews, negative OR positive, are very much welcome! I am so grateful people are even reading this, really, it's awesome.


	16. Chapter 16

"Hang on tight, Shippou," said Kagome warningly, wrapping her legs more securely around Inuyasha's hips. The kitsune nodded and wrapped his hands more tightly around Kirara's thick ruff. The group was readying themselves to rejoin Kouga's tribes, having to get through the line of dire wolves, preferably without being seen and leading the enemy to the wolves' hiding place. Sango and Miroku were atop Kirara, weapons at the ready. Sango's hiraikotsu gleamed coolly in the grey morning light and the monk's staff was freshly sharpened, jingling rings muffled with strips of fabric. Powerful sutras were tucked into his sleeves and Kirara's rose-colored eyes were narrowed, scanning the open meadow ahead of them. Kouga had already dashed across, and was now giving them the safe signal, motioning them to cross into the cover of the trees. They had crested the double-topped mountain late last night.

Inuyasha's muscles tightened as he was off in an instant, stooping low as he raced across the open space. Kirara was only a bare instant behind him, black paws churning the soft wet earth. A moment later the trees were reached and Kouga was instantly there, tail waving uneasily.

"I smell those damn demons all over here, Kouga," Inuyasha hissed. "There ain't no tracks though."

The wolf's fangs were showing slightly. "Yeah, I'm sure they've been prowling around. The caves are just a couple a miles ahead, and unless the dire wolves have found the packs, there probably aren't any hanging around. They've already killed everything here, as far as they know. Let's go." He was off with a quiet rustling of grass that belied his speed. Inuyasha gave a muttered curse and followed, bare feet silent against the ground.

Even Kagome was noticing the smell now. It was a vaguely nauseating scent, reminiscent of rotting meat, coppery blood and a thick musk. She pressed her nose against her sleeve, grimacing. _These things need to take a bath once in a while. Even a human could smell them coming from a mile away! Nasty. _She noticed Inuyasha's ears spinning around in every direction, alert for the slightest sound.

Kouga skidded to a stop, raising a cautionary hand. "Hang on, guys, I think we made it. See that patch of ivy on the cliff face? Up under that's the caves. Lemme go up and clue in the watch to move the boulder, then I'll wave you in." Kirara gave a lick to one sore paw as Kouga disappeared into the tall grass, leaving not a sign to watching eyes. The cat wasn't used to so much walking, generally relying on her flying abilities, and Sango felt even more remorse at the thought of Kirara being cooped up inside an airless cave.

Shippou peered over Kagome's shoulder. "Are we there yet?" he whispered softly. She held up a finger, telling him to wait. Kouga had appeared at the base of the cliff among the shadowy trees and she squinted, trying to make out what he was doing. Inuyasha's golden eyes were trained intently on the woods around them as he took a deep whiff, nostrils flaring. Suddenly he tensed.

"Fuck! Everyone, go! Go NOW!" He slapped hard Kirara on the flank as he sprang past her, startling her to her feet and across the meadow. Kouga looked up, confused.

"Wha-? They're moving the boulder, hang on-"

Inuyasha shoved him aside. "No time! Kagome, down!" She complied quickly, steadying Shippou with one hand as she jumped aside. Inuyasha was snarling, eyes dark. "Can't you smell those damn demons comin', Kouga? Tell them to get the rock outta the way!" A large boulder was evident over Kouga's shoulders, covered in moss, and voices and scraping sounds could be heard from behind it. It was moving, Kagome could tell, but oh so slowly. She looked behind them fearfully and her mouth opened in shock.

"Inuyasha…" her voice was a near-silent breathless half-shriek, but he heard and whirled around, Tetsusaiga already out. Sango and the monk both inhaled sharply as they saw what Kagome had seen, and Miroku was aghast, sensing along with her the massive malevolent energy emanating from the dire wolf facing them.

It wasn't the largest demon they'd ever faced, but it was plenty large enough, a good three times the size of Kirara, covered with greasy maroon fur. Its narrow, mustard-yellow eyes were fixed on the cornered group, shining with a disturbing, wicked intelligence. The dire wolf was a sleek, rangy killing machine, equipped with claws like those of a big cat, retractable and razor-sharp, and two rows of long bony spikes ran down its sides. Pinpoint yellowed teeth were visible as its jaw hung open slightly, dropping glistening ropes of saliva. Inuyasha was struck with horror as he was drawn back to his childhood; these dire wolves that his mother had told him of had been the monsters under his bed.

"We're cornered!" said Sango, eyes narrowed. She rose to her knees, swinging her hiraikotsu around her head and letting it go with a grunt. It spun through the air towards the demon faster than the eye could follow- then, impossibly, the dire wolf caught it out of the air with ease. It seemed to grin as it closed its jaws with a crunch, snapping the hiraikotsu into three splintered pieces.

Sango gave a wordless gasp, face whiter than snow. "My boomerang! That- that was my grandfather's!" She was trembling, for once at a loss of what to do.

The dire wolf's lips curled and its thin rat-like tail gave a soft wag as it took a slow step towards them. Kagome gave an involuntary whimper, feeling cold stone at her back. Inuyasha glanced left and right, seeing no escape. Kouga was pounding frantically on the rock face. "Let us in, dammit, we got a dire out here! Put your backs into it!" he roared, whirling around with the terrifying eyes of a wolf at bay. In the air, the sickening stench of the demon grew overwhelming. The boulder had been moved perhaps a foot by now, but there was still only an inch of opening.

Inuyasha gave an enraged bellow and rushed to the huge mossy rock. The dire wolf was pacing deliberately towards them, eyes laughing cruelly as it played with its victims, certain of the meal about to occur. The hanyou wrapped his arms as far around the boulder as they would reach, digging his claws into the stone and spreading his legs. "Push harder!" he grunted to the wolf demons inside, face purpling as he gave a mighty effort. An incredibly loud scraping echoed through the air as he shoved it aside. "In! Now!" he snapped and they didn't think twice. Racing through the gap into darkness with Shippou right behind her, Kagome could hear an infuriated roar, digging into her ears like an icepick, reminding her of a terribly magnified child's shriek. Sango and Miroku followed, Kirara having shrunk and leaped into the demon-slayer's arms. Kouga shoved Kagome farther in, but she pushed back, frantic. _Where's Inuyasha? Did he get inside in time?_

Indeed he had, though just barely. The boulder ground into place with the aid of three wolf demons just as the dire wolf's dirty nose hit it. Total darkness enfolded the group, Inuyasha's loud panting audible in the sudden, ominous silence, until Kouga gave an impatient snap of his fingers.

"Ginta, light a damn torch already," he ordered. The wolf complied instantly and a flickering glow lit up the passageway.

"Hi, Kagome," he said cheerfully, giving her a wave. The torchlight glinted off his hair, turning the blue streak down the center purple. "I really thought you guys weren't gonna make it for a bit there. Those dire wolves are nasty, huh?"

She gave a shaky laugh, going over to Inuyasha and slipping her arm through his. "Yeah, I was a little worried too. Inuyasha, are you okay?"

He looked at her grumpily. "Yeah, I'm just absolutely wonderful," he told her sarcastically. "Feel's like my damn nose is bleedin' from the stench of that thing!" She squinted, taking a closer look at one amber eye.

"Well, it's not your nose that's bleeding," she said diplomatically.

Shippou gave a faint laugh. "Uh, it looks like you popped a blood vessel in your eye, Inuyasha. It's really creepy!" He tucked his spinning top back inside his coat, having held his weapon at the ready just like everyone else.

Inuyasha gave a high whine. "I did what?! Crap, that's why everything's all blurry!" He began rubbing his eye hard with one fist until Kagome pulled it down. "Fuck! Now those wolves know where you're at, Kouga, this could be a problem."

Kouga shrugged fatalistically, secretly amused by the sight of the hanyou with one extremely sore-looking bloodshot eye. "Eh, they'd a smelled us out pretty soon anyways. Come on, I gotta talk to the pack leaders." He began walking down the rocky corridor in the torchlight, deftly avoiding the stalagmites protruding from the floor. Kagome pulled on Inuyasha's arm and he followed, poking his eye experimentally.

"Hey, Kouga," said the hanyou after a moment. "I thought you told us those dire wolves didn't have any scent at all? I sure as hell smelled that one!"

Kouga turned to look at him, frowning. "Are you nuts? I didn't notice a thing. They _don't_ have a smell."

Kagome crinkled her brow. "Uh, yeah they do! A really disgusting one! I even smelled it!"

"As did I," said Miroku, perplexed. "How on earth could you not have caught that, Kouga?"

A slim wolf demon, clad in black furs and walking beside Ginta, spoke up skeptically. "I've never caught a single whiff of anything at all from those dires! How could a human have caught their scent?"

"I smelled it too, and I'm half demon," said Inuyasha crossly. "How 'bout you, Kirara?" She gave an affirmative mew. "See, she did, too! It must just be you wolves or somethin'."

Kouga flicked his tail in irritation. "Don't be stupid, wolves have better noses than dogs or cats!"

"Not this time," Inuyasha informed him with a smirk, slinging an arm loosely over Kagome's shoulders, waiting to see if she'd shove it off. She didn't, and he smirked wider. "I guess they've developed a way to keep other wolves from smellin' them. Trust me, though, you ain't missin' nothing, they reek like a week-old battlefield."

The blue-eyed wolf demon frowned, then shook his head and turned to Ginta. "How many packs have come in since I was gone?"

"Um- none, Kouga. There's still just Ayame's pack, Daichi and Hayate. I think that the other wolf packs may have been attacked," he said unhappily. "There's been no sign, and Daichi said he'd lost communications with the eastern packs a few weeks before he first ran into the dires."

Kouga gave a deep sigh, shoulders slumping. "Well, we're here," he muttered, waving a clawed hand ahead. "There's this big cavern, but there's hundreds of smaller ones. Stake one out for yourselves, just don't wander too deep and get lost, okay? I need to go talk to the leaders." He jogged off as the group stood staring into a huge cavern, lit by the dancing smoky glow of a large bonfire. A few threads of sunlight filtered down through the high ceiling- obviously it had a least some ventilation cracks in the stone, enough to allow a fire with safety.

"There's gotta be three hundred wolves here," Inuyasha hissed in dismay, ears aggressively flat.

"Stop it," said Kagome irritably, shaking his arm. "You just look ridiculous with your eye like that, it's no use trying to be scary." He showed a fang in annoyance as, almost in unison, every single wolf in the cavern looked up. A multitude of eyes glinted at the suddenly wordless group, accompanied by the shimmer of fangs.


	17. Chapter 17

Hey guys! Thanks everyone who's reading this, I appreciate it! I'd love to know if you feel I am getting the characters/actions believable. I want to address some of the problems Kagome would have in her day to day life living in the feudal area, but obviously I can't get into TOO much detail or the story will never end, haha.

Kagome tightened her grip on Inuyasha's arm in warning before stepping forward. She gave a wave and a tiny smile. "Uh, hi. We came to help you guys out a little. I'm Kagome, this is Inuyasha, that's Sango and-" She was cut off by a loud snort from within the mass. One hand rose to clutch her carved cherry blossom pendant. _Kouga's wolves were never this scary! _

"You came to help us, huh?" came a deep, drawling voice. The huddle of wolf demons nearest Kagome, almost all wearing leather armbands dyed a rich orange, parted. From within them came the tallest wolf she'd even, a good six inches taller than Kouga or Inuyasha, steel-gray eyes narrowed. He was built broadly in the bones, while still carrying the characteristic, almost famine leanness of the wolves, with shoulder-length brown hair. He strode up to Kagome, grinning lopsidedly, and looked her up and down slowly, ignoring the sudden rumbling coming from Inuyasha. "What makes you think a tasty little mortal like _you_ could help us, huh?"

Kagome folded her arms, unconsciously showing him her teeth, a habit she'd picked up from Inuyasha. "Obviously you need us," she snapped, not liking this wolf's cocky attitude or the way he was looking at her. "You're trapped here in a cave. Kouga made a long journey to get us, you could be a little politer." She heard the group of wolves he'd emerged from muttering and shifting about.

The demon facing her raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you're that priestess Kouga thinks he's gonna mate?" He bit his lip, stifling a snort. "The one who's so oh-so-great with her arrows? You don't look like much, girl, I have to say I think Kouga wasted his time." He shifted his gaze to a blazing-eyed Inuyasha. "And you're the little mutt!" A booming laugh rolled from his chest as Inuyasha flushed.

Kagome was livid. Her eyes sparked as she swiftly stepped forward and planted a small hand on the wolf's chest. There was a burst of static, the smell of ozone and he was stumbling back with a smoking hand-shaped burn stamped in his flesh. As one, the orange armband wearing wolves rose to their feet. "Get that little mortal bitch, Hayate!" came a shout, followed by whoops and barks. They were expecting carnage, but Kagome got there first.

"There's big bad wolves around and this time they're not you!" Kagome hissed, shoving back Inuyasha as he moved to intercept the gray-eyed wolf. He saw wisps of steam rising from her palm and obeyed, a little awed. "You're one of those guys who like to make trouble for anyone new, aren't you? Anyone who's not just like you? Well too bad! You all need our help so quit being stupid and take it!" Hayate was still, one fang showing from under his lips as he probed the angry red flesh around his wound. Kagome took a threatening step forward, all the stress of the past few days and her anger at the wolf's abuse bursting out. "You'd be surprised how good I am in battle, and I'm not the strongest in our group! Don't you ever act like you just did around me, understand?"

The tall wolf stood up straight and met her eyes with an angry growl, expecting her to look away submissively. Kagome just glared him down, and finally he gave a loud laugh. "I'm sorry," he told her unexpectedly. "I've never really talked to a mortal, and most of the females in my tribe don't have half the spirit you do. What's your name?"

She blinked. "Kagome Higurashi."

He extended a callused hand, tail giving a flick as he grinned down at her toothily. "Hayate. I'm the leader of the western pack. Say hi, everyone!" His pack ignored him, having gone back to whatever they'd been doing before getting distracted by a prospective fight. "They're usually a bit better mannered than this," he confided. "Everyone's getting a bit jumpy, what with the whole siege situation. Introduce me to your friends, will you, Kagome? I don't think the dog likes me much." Inuyasha was apoplectic with rage, clutching the hilt of Tetsusaiga with white knuckles, straining against Miroku and Sango's grips.

Kagome considered Hayate for a moment, bemused by the sudden turn around. She didn't realize that for a mortal female to stand up to an alpha male the way she had was the quickest route to respect within the intricate pack societies. She was in, now, and he would treat her as a packsister. _I guess he's not so bad, just one of those people who aren't good at making first impressions._

"Uh, that's Inuyasha. Calm down, okay? He's not going to hurt me." Inuyasha relaxed a little, ears still pinned back. Hayate gave him a cheerful little wave, smirking a little. Kagome continued talking, pointing as she said each of her comrade's names. "That's Miroku, he's a monk, the kitsune's name is Shippou and he's not for eating, that's Kirara, and this is Sango, she's a professional demon-slayer."

Sango dropped her eyes. "Not without my weapon I'm not." Kagome gave a little gasp, having almost forgotten about the destroyed boomerang.

"Oh, Sango, that's right! I'm so sorry. Can you make do with a sword?" Sango shook her head miserably.

"I never bothered to train really well with anything else and I should have," she murmured. Kirara gave her hand a lick.

Inuyasha suddenly slapped his neck, hard. "Ow!" he yelped, then snatched something out of the air. "Myoga? You been here the whole time?" Kagome and the others peered over into Inuyasha's hand at the grizzled old flea, who was rubbing his bald head ruefully, giving Inuyasha a resentful stare.

"I was about to tell you, Master Inuyasha, that I believe I can help your friend the slayer out," he squeaked. Inuyasha raised a brow. "She keeps her weapons supplies at her old village, no? And you are, for all intents and purposes, trapped in here. I, however, am not."

"So?" said Kagome. "You couldn't carry another boomerang."

The flea puffed up his chest. "I have innumerable connections, my dear! I can get the required materials to you in a jiffy. Not to mention it'll get me out of the front lines." Inuyasha scowled and pinched him between two nails as Sango's eyes lit up.

"Promise you'll come back?" Myoga nodded breathlessly. The hanyou flicked him away unceremoniously. "Good. Hurry up."

"Myoga!" Kagome called suddenly. She heard his voice reply faintly, already a ways away, and ran towards it. "There's this shiny rib on the green table! Can you bring it for me?" Silence. _I hope he heard me…_

Hayate had been observing this little scene with furrowed brow. "A half demon dog with a flea retainer? You guys had better be damn good in a tussle, I hate fleas," he muttered before extending an arm to Kagome gallantly. "Listen, you want me to help you get yourselves a cave? We're havin' a battle council tonight, the leaders anyway, I guess you'll be there too, but until then you can eat or whatever." She took his arm lightly.

"Yeah, thanks! Come on, guys, I'm starving." Inuyasha was growling again at the sight of her hand on the wolf. She glanced back, startled, and dropped her hand. Hayate shot a look at Inuyasha, eyes thoughtful, before heading down into the main clump of wolves. They moved aside for Kagome, having observed (and smelled- burning flesh is pungent) her reaction to the western pack's leader. Inuyasha, however, had to fight his way through the wolves, showing teeth belligerently, ears pinned.

Hayate pointed the group towards an empty cavern behind his pack's. "You better stock up on torches," he warned before disappearing in a blink. Kagome looked around as Miroku held up the torch they did have. The atmosphere was awful, and she could tell that a true fire would be impossible without ventilation. She really wasn't looking forward to a night on the cold stone floor.

"Well, I guess this is home for a while," she sighed. "I wonder where Kouga went?"

"Off to check on his wolves, probably," said Miroku absently, wondering if now was the time to try that light-making thing his master used to do when extremely drunk.

"Or on Ayame," said Shippou slyly, poking around among the rough rocky floors, trying to find a reasonably smooth spot to take a nap in. Kagome laughed.

"Yeah, I think he finally got the picture about him and me," she said with a dramatic sigh of relief. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at her, thoroughly pissed and out of sorts.

"That's sure not the idea you were givin' that Hayate guy," he grumbled. Kagome stopped and frowned at him, shoving her black hair out of her face. Miroku and Sango looked away awkwardly.

"Inuyasha, I half-purified the guy," she said quietly. "I certainly wasn't flirting. He may need an attitude adjustment but he's a leader, we can't have him mad at us." Inuyasha wrinkled his nose, slightly appeased.

"Just don't let him get the wrong idea."

Kagome rolled her eyes. _And I thought he was jealous before this! _"No worries, he's not my type. I like ears," she said mischievously, biting back a grin as the hanyou flushed a little. She spotted a mound of something in the corner and went to investigate. "Ooh! Enough torches to last for a day or two!" she said happily, before giving a violent sneeze. The air was musty and smoky in these caverns and she hoped to god that those awful dire wolves would just die off suddenly.

She grew sober at the thought, turning to the others as she flicked on her flashlight. "Those dire wolves are sure the real deal, huh?" Sango nodded hard. "We had all better go to that council. One of us will have to be with every group of wolves that go out- it's so weird they can't smell them." Kagome shook her head before unrolling her sleeping back on the least bumpy piece of stone she could find, throwing down her quiver on top of it. A few arrows came tumbling out but she left them as a sudden whirlwind appeared beside her. Kouga couldn't even summon the energy to grin, and for once didn't take her hand. _Thank gods! It was getting old. I hate to see him so stressed, though,_ she thought sadly. He waved a hand.

"Meeting time, all. Come on." They followed, the image of the dire wolf's sickly yellow eyes tattooed into their brains.


	18. Chapter 18

Kouga led them through the caves, holding a pitch torch high, until they hit an almost empty cavern, walls striped with lovely rose quartz, though the ceiling was uncomfortably low. Kagome was beginning to feel her skin crawl, unable to stop thinking about the pounds of rock above them. Inuyasha caught a whiff of her unease, though in these airless caverns his nose wasn't totally up to par, and took her hand. She clutched it gratefully as he wrapped his strong fingers around hers, sitting down on the cold floor and turning her flashlight off, unneeded in the middle of several torches. She looked across at Kouga as Sango and Miroku settled down, noting with concern the tight look on his face.

"The others'll get here in a second," he said, leaning back on one palm and licking the bite mark on his arm, which was beginning to scab nicely.

Sure enough, they heard laughter and saw torchlight coming through the passage as Ayame and an older wolf came in. _She looks just the same, _thought Kagome fondly, though she didn't really. The female wolf was showing signs of her new rulership. She carried herself straighter, her jade green eyes were direct and confident, and her steps were firm. A small dirty-tan wolf of the four-legged speechless variety walked beside her.

The wolf demon who accompanied her was slightly shorter and stocky, clad in yellow-brown furs and a few pieces of copper armor. His face carried lines and there were threads of gray shot through his long braided black hair, though he moved easily and his body was still hard and muscled. He glanced at Kagome and the others, scenting humans, and she saw his eyes were purple. A puckered red scar traced down his cheek, pulling one lip up slightly.

Ayame waved to Kagome and the others. "Hi, everyone! I'm glad Kouga found you, I wasn't sure he'd be able to," she said with a small smile. Kouga snorted loudly. "This is Daichi, he's alpha to the northern tribes. Daichi, this is the band we were telling you about- that's Inuyasha the hanyou, that monk is Miroku, and that woman is Sango, a demon-slayer. That other girl is-"

"Kagome," he supplied, eyes crinkling in amusement. "I saw you put Hayate in his place today, girl, and it was nicely done." He folded his legs beneath him lithely and tucked his tail, black with a white tip, neatly in his lap. Ayame went over to sit next to Kouga, patting him on the shoulder. The iris in her hair bobbed gently as she made herself comfortable.

Inuyasha was fidgeting, his palm hot against Kagome's. She squeezed his hand a little. _I really don't like this whole situation, _he was thinking grimly. _We're stuck here in this damned cave, no way out, with gods know how many of those demons running around knowing we're in here._

Sango's thoughts were along the same line. She'd been astonished that in all her training she'd heard nothing at all of these dire wolves, and was going over techniques that could help them, though even the optimistic slayer had to admit the situation was dismal and that given a second chance, she wouldn't have been so eager to come.

Ayame raised a brow. "Speaking of Hayate, where is he?"

Kouga rolled his eyes. "He'll get here when he gets here. We need to figure out what we're going to do."

Daichi leaned forward, propping his jaw on one hand. "There's only one option, the way I see it. We're going to have to rally the wolves and attack directly."

Ayame snorted. "Kouga, that's exactly why we went to ground- our packs against fivescore dires? I mean, that's- there are obviously more out there, that's just a rough minimum. There's no way in hell we'd come out alive, we were getting slaughtered one by one."

The blue-eyed wolf wrinkled his nose in disgust. "What else are we going to do? We've got water for a week, maybe, food for two and then we'll have to leave anyway. I don't know about you but I'll die and my pack with me before we leave our lands!"

Daichi blinked slowly. "Our packs already have. We're here with you." Kouga cast his eyes down, flushing. The violet-eyed older wolf continued gravely. "As I see it, here are our options. We can mount a direct attack as you suggested, and in all likelihood, even with the aid of these fighters," he inclined his head towards Inuyasha and the others, "we'll be defeated. Two, we can attempt to sneak away and run." Ayame curled her lip and grunted in scorn at the idea and Kouga by her side shook his head sharply. "I agree. Thirdly, we could wait and see if they leave in the time we'll still have supplies, which I strongly doubt. Fourth, we can form guerilla packs and leave through the back tunnel Ginta and Kiku discovered to ambush the dires one by one, lessening their numbers until we are forced to come into direct battle. We'll have a better chance against fewer numbers. I believe this is our best option."

Kagome leaned forward, growing interested. Her eyes sparkled. "You'd need one of us in each group, so that you'd be able to smell the demons coming. So that's Shippou, Kirara, Sango- uh, six packs. Miroku can set up a bunch of his spiritual traps in the woodlands, and I'm sure Sango knows some ways to incapacitate those demons even more. I think I can purify the streams nearby and for while, they won't be able to drink it." Inuyasha looked at her sideways, eyebrows raised.

Ayame gave a fierce grin, teeth gleaming in the torchlight. "If we can take out some ahead of time, and weaken others, we might actually have a chance."

They all exchanged looks, hope suddenly blooming. Inuyasha's grasp on Kagome's hand was warm and steady as he fought down a huge smile of pride. _Kagome's really comin' along..._

Hayate's keen gray eyes were currently examining the upturned contents of Kagome's pack. He was a curious wolf, and a spoiled one, having been coddled from birth by a fiercely protective mother, long past the time when the other females had advised her to wean him away. He'd inherited the western packs from his father at a young age, and all things considered, hadn't done a bad job of ruling them, though some of the older wolves didn't like the ways he used his alpha status. Any and all unmated females (some with mates, even) were fair game for him to court, and although he was a good fighter and fast improving, he was also lazy and overly confident, reliant upon his size for victory over challengers. His own cocksure attitude towards reports of the approaching dire wolf threat had cost his pack three good wolves, who would be sorely missed.

Right now, he was trying to figure out what some of the strangely scented objects he'd picked up before in the newcomers' packs were. Hayate had discarded the toothpaste as disgusting, puzzled for a long time over some of the glittery, stretchy, tiny pieces of fabric in the bottom of Kagome's pack, and then moved to their weapons after carefully repacking everything.

Hayate raised the young mortal priestess' quiver to a wriggling nose, running a claw down the strange synthetic material. He heard something rattle as he dumped out the arrows and stuck a hand inside. _I don't know where they make females like that but I can see why Kouga had a thing for her! _The tall wolf leader was determined to find out what strange land she came from that made these things.

He pulled out a strange scroll, many leaves all bound together at one end by a red and pink cover. It had the same slightly acidic, almost fake smell as many of the other objects he'd pawed through. He opened it and his mouth hit the floor.

_Look at these drawings! Gods, now I really understand why Kouga wanted her! _Hayate didn't understand the characters accompanying the illustrations, but the artwork was enough. He turned the book sideways, studying the pages, licking his fangs absently as his face grew flushed.

A noise in the passage at his back startled him. _Fuck, I can't get caught going through someone else's things!_ He'd taken a great risk to satisfy his curiosity. Wolves were incredibly territorial and more than one brawl had been because of some uninvited nosing around. He backtracked hastily, ducking into a side passage as that silver-haired dog hanyou walked through, muttering something.

Hayate took a deep breath, smoothed his brown hair, wincing as the tender charred flesh on his chest pulled, and strolled back to his pack with a practiced air of nonchalance. The few drawings he'd seen ran through his mind and he was hard put not to grab the nearest female. _I have to have that human! _Possibilities he'd never imagined were opening up before him.

Inside their cramped cave, Inuyasha was narrow-eyed and suspicious. He smelled wolf where none had been before, though the scent wasn't familiar enough to place the individual. _Kagome wanted her arrows so she could try that water trick- what the hell?! _He planted his feet, startled, as he took in Kagome's ransacked belongings. The pack had been hastily repacked, but he knew it wasn't where it had been before, and her arrows were scattered over the floor beside her quiver. He knelt down, ears pinned at this unforgivable intrusion. Dogs were just as territorial as wolves, if not more, and Inuyasha's golden eyes were fiery.

He paused, reaching out to grab something pink that was lying on the ground. Behind him, a high voice said, "Sit!" and he crashed to the rocky ground.

Kagome rushed over, face hot, stuffing the book into her quiver again. _Oh, gods, what if he'd of seen that damned book? Why was he going through my stuff anyways? _She hadn't even cracked the book yet and resolved to do so at the earliest opportunity so that she could burn the thing.

Inuyasha rolled over, groaning pathetically. "Kagome, I wasn't going through your stuff, it was like this, I swear!" She crossed her arms skeptically, then sighed, extending a hand.

"I believe you, I'm sorry. You have to admit it looked a little odd, though... I wonder who would go through our things? Weird... so let's go try that arrow trick, huh? Daichi wants to see and I passed that jackass Hayate on my way in here, so all the leaders will be there." She stooped and grabbed a single missile, pulling a thoroughly blindsided Inuyasha by the sleeve. "Sango says that she knows herbs we can burn to take away our scents and hurt the demon's eyes, and..."

She kept talking as they walked, seemingly not disturbed, but Inuyasha was. His nostrils were flared as they made their way back through the packs, hunting for the scent of the intruder and already itching to teach them a lesson not soon forgotten.


	19. Chapter 19

Here we go, everyone! Chapter nineteen! :)

Miroku coughed violently in his light sleep. Beside him, Sango stirred uneasily. The companions had retreated back to their cavern, and the bitter cold of the stone walls and wintery night was taking its toll on the miserable monk. Inuyasha had offered to boil up some of his trademark liver-and-herb remedy but, seeing Kagome's frantic grimaces and gestures behind the hanyou's back, Miroku had declined hastily.

To add to their discomfort, they couldn't have a fire. Even the smoke from the single torch was stifling, as there was practically no ventilation whatsoever, and they were wearing everything they owned, shivering like mad. Shippou was in a foul mood, having been refused some of Kagome's ninja food on the grounds that they were in a siege situation and needed to conserve whatever they had. The kitsune had stomped away and curled up beside Kirara, falling asleep quickly. He understood, but that didn't mean he had to like it- he thought they were rather stupid for agreeing to this whole thing in the first place.

Kagome was sitting on a lumpy rock, knees drawn up to her chest and the hood of her brown jacket pulled over her hair. Inuyasha was lying on his side, head propped on his hand, wondering how their battle plans would work. They'd talked and plotted for over three hours, Kagome practicing her water purification and confirming, by forcible use of an unwilling Kouga, that she could make it undrinkable to demons.

At first she'd been bothered, protesting that if she did this, none of the good demons would be able to drink either! Ayame had laughed and informed her that there were far fewer good demons than she thought and if there were any, they'd surely been driven away by the dire wolves, who unfortunately had seemingly decided to use the vacated wolf demon's lands as their base of operations.

Miroku's job was to be creating sutras for anything useful he could think of. He had to create his traps carefully, since he had only a limited amount of ink with him, but had already started a few, one of which would explode when touched. Any dire wolf that stepped on it would lose a limb at the least. He also had a subtler trap in mind, which when triggered, wafted through the air, slowly dulling the demons' senses of sight, hearing, and thought. After sneezing and smearing an important line, though, he'd given up for the time and gone to sleep. They only knew it was nighttime because the watch had changed and it had grown even colder, and Sango was having a hard time falling asleep, though eventually she managed. Tomorrow would be busy for her. Full of information and tricks to incapacitate demons, she had to go hunting for certain herbs and materials and make it back alive, though Hayate and another wolf would accompany her.

For the other two, sleep just wouldn't come, though both were drowsy. Inuyasha's eye was bothering him, showing red twinges every time he looked sideways, and Kagome was daydreaming. She picked up a pebble and ran her fingers over it, licking her finger and rubbing it over the surface, bringing out lines of black and muddy gold. _Like Inuyasha's eyes, almost, _she thought, smiling to herself, touching the wooden blossom around her neck.

The hanyou was touching his own necklace, the one holding the completed jewel shard. _What the hell am I going to do with this thing? _he wondered. _I could just wish away all those stupid reekin' dire wolves and have done with this whole thing and get Kagome out safe. Or I could do somethin' big... _He'd been turning a certain idea around in his head for a while now.

Ears wilting in the cold, he flipped over to stare at Kagome. She looked up after a moment, dropping the pebble. "What?"

"My ears are freezin'," he complained. "We shoulda never came here."

Kagome smiled fondly at him. He had to concentrate hard to force his eyes up from those perfectly curved lips. "You know the wolves needed our help and we weren't doing anything else. Quit whining."

He glared at her, though it was halfhearted. "I ain't whining! I just don't like this whole business. I wish I knew why the dire wolves came back from overseas, though. It just doesn't feel right."

Kagome rubbed her arms, wishing she had gloves. It seemed she'd been nothing but cold lately. Winters without heaters and warm cars were awful. "I know what you mean. Maybe we'll find out when we start laying the traps."

A single ear, ghostly in the guttering torch's dying light, flicked. "About that! You definitely ain't going outside without me, not with those wolves around."

"Oh, I'm not, huh?" Kagome's eyes narrowed dangerously in the shadow of her hood. "I can handle myself, and Daichi and Ginta at the least will be with me. You need to go with Shippou and Kirara to set up the boulder falls, they needs the protection more than me."

"Yeah but I care more if you get hurt!" Inuyasha blurted, then flushed slightly.

Kagome's eyes widened a little. She extended a hand shyly. "You worry too much about me, Inuyasha." He came over and sat by her grumpily. "Thanks, though."

"Don't get mushy on me," he snapped. Kagome reached a hand up and scratched his ears, giggling at the cross-eyed expression of bliss that appeared on his face.

_He's so cute, getting worried about me. "_Are your ears warming up?" she said teasingly, scooting closer to him, hood falling into her face. He smiled.

_Among other things... _"Yeah, that's better. Damn cold in here, huh?" He slid an arm around her waist, pulling her onto his lap.

She laughed a little uncertainly. "Uh, yeah. What, you're gonna keep me warm all night?"

"If you want," he said seriously. Kagome glanced away, blushing pinkly.

"I- I don't mind."

"Good, 'cuz I wasn't gonna let you go any time soon," Inuyasha said evilly, before leaning in and kissing her. Kagome kissed back eagerly, his mouth enticingly warm on hers. She darted her tongue across his lips, feeling him gasp a little and liking it more than she would admit. He deepened the kiss, grazing her soft bottom lip lightly with his fangs. Waves of sensation rolled down her body as she threw caution to the wind and swung one leg over, straddling him. He gulped a little, now thoroughly warmed-up ears twitching madly, as he stuck his hands into the belt loops on her jeans and pulled her tighter against him. _This whole situation with Kagome may be confusing but it has definite benefits compared to how we were before, _he thought as she said something incoherently against his mouth. Whatever it was he agreed wholeheartedly.

They pulled back finally, both breathing hard. Kagome was toying absently with the tie on his firerat, hood fallen and black hair deliciously mussed. "Whoa," she murmured. Inuyasha smirked. _I know what that word means! _He put a hand under her chin and lifted her head up, eyes a little wild, kissing her harder this time, sliding a clawed hand into her hair and tugging gently. Kagome was a little taken aback. _Does he want... I'm supposed to do it harder? Damn, that sounded dirty... I definitely have to read Mom's book. _She bit Inuyasha on the lip, hard, and was shocked when he let out a thick growl and moved from her lips to her neck, nibbling delicately.

Kagome had to bite her own lip to keep from moaning. _Oh, man, I hope no one wakes up! At least I have jeans on and not a skirt... Oh, oh, wow!_ Inuyasha was moving across her collarbone now, hands pulling hard against her hips as he ran his teeth along her neck, breath hot. She fisted her hands in his firerat helplessly, lips parted and face flushed. Inuyasha was going crazy with want, fighting to keep himself from throwing her down right then and there, shaking as he unzipped the neck of her coat more and flicked a tongue across the sensitive spot under her ear.

A slightly embarrassed, shrill voice spoke up in Inuyasha's ear. "Uh, Master Inuyasha, I've returned... but I can always come back... ouch!" Inuyasha pinned a squirming Myoga between two fingers, panting and seriously considering smashing the elderly flea for good this time. Kagome hid her face in Inuyasha's shoulder, hoping for sudden death or the opening of a bottomless pit below her feet.

Myoga finally popped free, straightening his clothes and hopping prudently to the top of Kagome's head. "Violence isn't the answer, Master Inuyasha!" The hanyou ground his teeth, looking extra ferocious with the burst vein in his eye, and Myoga kept talking hastily. "Sorry... I retrieved those weapons for Kagome and Sango. In fact, they should be here any minute..."

A dull rumbling sound could be heard through the wall of the cavern. Kagome lifted her head and squinted in the practically gone light, eyes widening as a pink snout suddenly poked through the wall, gravel and grit showering down around it. She jumped off Inuyasha's lap, sending Myoga wheeling through the air, and ran over to catch the mole demon just as it emerged.

It snuffled blindly around her hands. "Myoga? Myoga, am I here?"

The flea's tinny voice was faint. "Yes, thank you very much, Takumi."

The mole's eyeless face turned toward the sound. "Is my debt paid?"

Myoga gave a nasal snicker. "Oh, yes, I think so. Many thanks! Kagome, grab your weapons and let Takumi here go back home, will you?"

Kagome frowned, reaching a hand gingerly into the mole's freshly made tunnel, feeling rough canvas. She grabbed it and pulled, sending a few jars rolling. "Oh, thank you, Myoga! And thank you, Takumi." The mole demon gave an odd snorting sound and clambered back into his tunnel, sending a spray of rock dust across Kagome as he left. She shook her head, bemused. "I didn't know there were mole demons... but you got the supplies to make Sango a new hiraikotsu! We owe you one, Myoga." The tiny flea took a dramatic bow, eyes crinkled happily.

"What was the debt that mole owed you, anyways?" Inuyasha asked suspiciously, eyeing Kagome regretfully.

"Oh, I was riding a crow and it tried to eat Takumi. I let it peck at him for a while then arrived to save him." The flea gave a satisfied chuckle. Kagome's face was a picture of indignation.

"That's horrible!"

Myoga sniffed audibly. "Well, I got you what you asked for, didn't I? Didn't I, Master Inuyasha?" The hanyou displayed his teeth in a carnivorous smile. Sango rolled over in her sleep, snoring lightly.

"Sure you did! Now get outta here or I'll be forced to shove you down that mole hole," he said warningly. He paused and, hearing nothing, knew Myoga had wisely hopped away. Kagome set the sack down and came back over to him, face rueful.

"What a time to get interrupted, huh?" She yawned. Inuyasha licked his lips, then made himself stop, seeing the purple shadows under her eyes.

"Yeah... but you're exhausted. Get some sleep, okay?"

She eyed him. "Are you still going to keep me warm all night?"

He folded his arms around her, leaning back against a stone and getting comfortable. "Duh. What kinda guy do you think I am?" Kagome smiled, already half asleep, and Inuyasha pulled the hood on her heavy jacket back up. The torch shoved between two rocks in the wall gave a last dying flare and burned out, leaving them in darkness like a blanket.


	20. Chapter 20

Kouga's blue eyes were slits as he waved forward the first group. It was a tight squeeze for Inuyasha, being fairly tall, but he managed to make it out of the tiny opening. They'd had to hike through the caves for almost an hour and a half, at times going down on their bellies to wriggle through small openings, while carrying all their traps and supplies. Sango was almost grateful that she no longer had her hiraikotsu- it would have been impossible to wrangle through the tight spaces- although upon waking up that morning and seeing the weapon-making materials, she'd practically died from happiness. Miroku had stayed close beside her, ignoring the fact that they'd have to separate upon heading outside.

The plans had been given some last-minute tweaking. There would be five groups, not six, and each group had different objectives. Shippou and Kirara would go together to set up some of Shippou's illusions, extending the appearance of the ground on open cliff faces or over deep rivers and the like. Inuyasha was setting up traps as well, while Kagome was going to purify the local watering holes. Sango needed to search for certain herbs and woods, and once she found them, was going to set up some nasty concoctions to hurt the demons that she'd learned in her slayer training. She said that some could even cause permanent paralysis, putting the dire wolves out of action for good. Miroku was going to set up his sutras, and hopefully they would all get back alive. The tiny passageway had broadened out into a larger chamber just next to the outside world, and the sunshine was a welcome sight to all.

Kagome was quiet and somber as she watched Inuyasha's broad back dart away, Ayame and a short, violent-looking dirty blond wolf beside him. The hanyou looked back for just a second, unable to meet Kagome's gaze from outside the pitch-black cave, but knowing she would see him. _Those damn wolves had better take good care of her, _he thought, hating having to leave her protection to others. He shook his head, focusing on the job ahead. Inuyasha was going to plant some of the traps they'd cooked up, snares and disguised pits and the like. He was an expert snare-maker, having learned the hard way that those delicious rabbits were usually too fast for even him, and was the only one of the group strong enough to dig holes as large and deep as the ones needed.

Kagome, Daichi, and Ginta were the next to leave, taking deep grateful breaths of the clean air. They immediately melted into the foliage around them, and Kagome smelled no traces of the dire wolves in the air. Apparently Kouga had been right, they hadn't yet discovered this tiny back entrance. Kagome glanced backwards as the headed towards the nearest stream, guided by the wolves' keen noses. She smiled as she saw Sango shoot from the rocky opening headfirst, rolling and landing on her feet like a cat.

"There's three streams and one lake we have to hit," said Daichi quietly, fixing Kagome with an amethyst stare. "We're gonna have to move fast, and Kagome, I realize you don't have the nose of a wolf but keep on the alert." She nodded, hefting her bow. They started off in a swift jog, avoiding loud twigs or crunchy leaves with the ease of long practice. Even Kagome moved in near-silence, having figured it out pretty quickly after dealing with Inuyasha's rants about 'clumsy lead-footed humans.' _I hope everyone else gets done quick and gets back safe, _she thought, glancing up at the sun and shivering, from more than the bitter air.

The first stream was really more of a river. Checking it out from the safety of the trees, Ginta spotted a few old, half-faded dire wolf tracks, but none more recent, so Kagome crept out. She scuttled to the river, wincing as she rattled the smooth stones, and pulled an arrow from her quiver. Her eyes squinched shut as she concentrated, breathing in deeply and slowly to counts of seven. In the trees, Daichi watched in fascination as the tip of the arrow in her hand began to glow a deep lavender. Kagome opened her eyes and plunged it into the water, sending up steam.

She went back to the others, wiping her forehead. "There. Where's the next one? Let's go," she said happily. "Nothing's gonna be drinking out of this one for a while."

Ginta shook his head admiringly. "You're pretty amazing, Kagome! That was some cool stuff out there!" He took off and she hastened to follow, grinning and shaking her head.

Shippou was tugging on Kirara's thick cream-colored neck ruff. "Down there, Kirara! That's a good place." The nekomata complied, nostrils flaring as she landed. Shippou hopped off, rummaging around in his coat and pulling out a tiny pebble carved with phenomenal detail into the image of a buddha. "Here we go..." the kitsune muttered, green eyes concentrating as he tossed the pebble up into a branch overhanging the clearing. "That'll get 'em!" he said with satisfaction, clambering back aboard Kirara. "I got a bunch more, let's go find some more good places!" Kirara gave an agreeable mewl, black-striped legs churning the air as she rose again.

Farther to the east, Ayame was shushing Inuyasha frantically. "Be quiet, they'll hear you from miles away!" she hissed, tail whipping. He gave a low grunt of effort as he flung another huge pile of earth out of the hole he was in.

"I'm done with this one, thank gods! You're worse than Kagome is," he groused, ears pinned as he jumped out. "Now we gotta cover it up."

The blond wolf with them gave a huge sigh. "More branch cutting?"

The hanyou grinned toothily, wiping his forehead. "Of course. I'll go on to that hill we spotted and start on the rock fall. Keep your ears open, okay?" The blond wolf rolled his eyes and nodded. Inuyasha was off with a bound, relieved at the prospect of swinging a few big rocks around to let off some stress. He hated digging. _People always assume just because I'm a dog demon I like getting dirt under my nails and crap in my eyes and ears!_

Sango was hastily bruising some purple-veined leaves with a pestle, glancing around. Hayate leaned against a tree lazily, eyeing her. "You ever gonna get done with these little potion things you're so proud of?" he asked insolently. She flicked a finger-full of the leaves' juice in his direction without a look, smiling lopsidedly when he gave a muffled yowl of pain as his nose and eyes began to burn. Kouga stifled a laugh.

"I need a couple of those yellow-barked twigs," she directed, and Hayate got them quickly, if with a sullen expression. Sango raised her head for a moment, flaring her nostrils and cocking her head to listen carefully. Sensing nothing, she went back to work, thanking all the gods of luck that the dire wolves weren't about when she didn't have her hiraikotsu. She felt naked without it and intended to start work on a new one as soon as she got back into the cave. _We should just leave while we're out here..._ she hit herself on the forehead, ashamed. _No! We gave our word to help these wolves, and I wouldn't want to leave my lands either. Besides, I'm a demon-slayer, this is what I do. _Her nose wrinkled in concentration as she began smearing the mixture onto the trees around her, waving Hayate and Kouga to a safe distance. _At least they haven't found that back way out yet and we'll be able to send a few wolves in and out for food and water._

Farther south, sweating slightly in spite of the nippy air, her fiance was carefully blessing each sutra as he pasted them in hidden places. The female wolf clad in black furs from Daichi's pack that had been with Ginta earlier, Kiku, was helping him out, though he had to go back over the ones she laid down and activate them. They'd traveled miles, seeing only some day-old signs of the dire wolves. It puzzled Miroku a little, actually, as he'd been dispatched near where Kouga had said they were denning. He pressed another sutra, full of deceptively graceful characters for explosion and bloodletting, down under a thick bush. Anything with a demonic aura that brushed against that bush would meet a messy ending. _I wonder how Sango's doing? If the dire wolves aren't where I am... where are they?_ At that exact moment, each of the others was thinking almost exactly the same thing.


	21. Chapter 21

"We're done here," said Kagome happily, pushing an arrow back into her quiver. "Let's head back, okay?" Daichi nodded, but she noticed an uneasy expression on his face. "Anything the matter?"

He flicked his white-tipped tail dismissively as they jogged along. "No, nothing really. I just wish we'd had some way to communicate with the others."

"I'm sure they're okay. It almost seems like the dire wolves may have left Kouga's lands entirely."

Daichi's purple eyes were grim. "So why did they bring mine, Hayate's and Ayame's to the ground and not his?" Kagome was struck dumb. She concentrated on moving her weary feet.

"I don't know," she said after a while, having turned it over in her mind. "Maybe they're getting tired of destroying every little thing they come across? Or they found something better before they had a chance to." Daichi raised a brow. She continued grimly, panting a little. "The biggest villages are concentrated over that way. I hate to suggest it, but maybe they went there."

Ginta broke in, skidding to a stop. "Maybe, maybe not! Look!" He pointed a quivering finger to the ground in front of him.

Kagome's blood froze as she looked at the gigantic footprint, obviously fresh. The wicked claw marks stood out cleanly and horribly in the soft mud. Before she knew what was happening, Daichi had thrown her over his shoulder and blasted into the woods faster than she would have believed, sliding to ground under a thick bush. Ginta wasn't far behind, eyes wide. "Where is it?" he whispered.

Daichi shook his head, nostrils widening vainly. "I don't know! Kagome, do you sense anything?"

She concentrated hard, then shook her head. "Nope, not even a scent. They must be too far away."

The older wolf rubbed a gnarled hand over his face in frustration. "There's something very wrong with this whole situation and I can't figure it out. We need to get back, though." He poked his head out of the bush, seeing nothing but that sinister print. "Come on. Keep an arrow ready, girl."

She scrambled out, feeling icy, muddy dampness seeping through the knees of her jeans. _How can there be one, single set of prints in the middle of nowhere? Where'd the dire wolf go on its own?_ She had to scramble to keep up with the nervous wolves' pace. _I hope Inuyasha's okay..._

They saw nothing for the next hour, though every single nerve was tight as a piano wire, tingling with tension. Finally, Ginta gave a happy if quiet yelp and pointed to the rising of the cliff face where their back exit could be seen. They ran towards it with abandon, Kagome nearly tripping. Daichi gave her a hand to clamber up and wriggle inside, coming in right behind her. She took a breath of the dull, musty cave air in the larger entrance chamber and wrinkled her nose in regret.

They each found relatively comfortable rocks to sit and wait on, Ginta keeping one eye trained out of the exit for any others returning. Kagome huddled against the chilly gray wall, crossing her fingers that everyone made it back. Daichi was forced to put one hand over his twitching tail, looking anxiously towards the main cavern. It went against every instinct he had to leave his pack in the middle of three others, and he wanted to get back to them.

"There!" said Ginta suddenly. "It's the kitsune and the cat, and-"

Kagome leaped up with sparkling eyes, inadvertently knocking the hapless lookout aside as she rushed to grab Shippou and Kirara. Shippou gave a sigh of relief as Kirara twined about Kagome's legs in her small form, tails flickering back and forth with soothing swishing noises. "Kagome! We set up all our traps, and- sorry." She removed her finger from his lips. "So we got everything set up, and we didn't even see any signs of those big wolves. Oh, and this is Soten! Remember her?"

Ginta leaped away with a startled growl as a petite young girl with pointed elfin ears pulled herself through the opening, followed by a small red dragon. She gave a small wave. "Hi. I, uh, heard some stuff and I ran into Shippou soooo... if you all want some help me and Koryuu can." The dragon rolled his eyes behind her back, flapping his tiny wings frantically.

Kagome was dumbstruck. "Uh- uhm-" Shippou's pleading green eyes met hers and she swallowed. "It's not really a place for kids, you know, Soten."

The girl snorted, red eyes fierce. "I've grown up quite a bit since you all met me. Besides, I'm the last of the thunder clan and it gets boring all alone up at the old castle. I'm staying, like it or not." She plumped herself down beside Shippou, who was grinning madly. Koryuu flew up in front of Daichi's face.

"Hey, you. Hit me." The wolf blinked, then complied.

"Again. Again!" There was a soft pop and a rush of air as the dragon transformed into a fleecy gray cloud. A sigh of contentment came from it. "Thanks, this is much better."

Daichi massaged his temples. "You have some strange companions, Kagome."

She grinned apologetically. "Uh, yeah." A sound caught her ears. "That'll be Sango, and Miroku's with her," she said in satisfaction. Ginta raised an eyebrow at her when he looked outside and saw she was right. Kagome laughed. "I heard a really good punch land. It's a, um, familiar noise." Sure enough, the red-faced demon slayer swung inside the cave, followed by a sheepish Miroku, rubbing his face tenderly. Hayate, Kouga, and Kiku followed, glancing behind them. Ginta gave a glad smile when he saw Kiku, and she went over and sat beside him, though she wouldn't meet his eyes.

Kagome scooted over to make room. "So how'd it go?"

Sango shrugged, unloading the packages of concotions she'd made and giving Kirara a pat. "No one touch those. It went about as well as could be expected, we got the job done. No signs of anything either." Hayate's eyes were still watering. "How about you?"

Kouga scratched his ribs. "Yeah, I mean I'm glad we didn't run into them but there was just nothing at all, not a sign. There should at least have been something with that many of 'em running around. After all, we just saw one yesterday when you all came in."

"We did see a print," Kagome said slowly. "Over by that bunch of hills. But it was weird, there was just one single wolf's prints."

Miroku frowned. "Only one wolf? Was the ground rocky?"

"No, fairly wet. We'd have seen the others if there had been any." Kagome blew her overgrown bangs from her eyes. "Anyone see Inuyasha?" Head shakes no all around, and she slumped back with a sigh. Miroku eyed the pig-tailed girl nodding off next to Shippou, finally giving a triumphant grin as he placed her. The cloud that was Koryuu orbited aimlessly about her head.

The minutes ticked on relentlessly, and finally Daichi stood up. "If no one minds, I'm going to head back and make sure the packs aren't trying to kill each other." They all waved him on. Kagome pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her chin on them, grimacing a little at the dampness. She was determined to wait for Inuyasha. _In fact, if he's not back pretty soon, I'm going out after him. _

Just then crashing sounds could be heard, followed by yelps and a loud snarl. Kagome trod over everyone as she leaped to the opening. She saw nothing but startled shrieking birds rising up just to the right. Then, as she stared intently into the watery sunlight, Inuyasha broke into view, running all out towards the cave, ears flattened against his skull with the speed he was traveling. Ayame and the blond wolf were right behind him, bounding like deer. Not three feet on their tails came an entire pack of dire wolves in a maroon wave, too many to count, horrible with their feral eyes fixed on the morsels in front of them. Kagome gave a short scream, feeling her throat close, before ducking out of the way as Ayame sailed through into the cave, propelled by Inuyasha, with the blond wolf close behind. Inuyasha dove through, ripping one sleeve nearly off on the jagged entrance, grabbing Kagome with one arm. "Go! Everyone go! Back!" he yelled. They all scrambled to get farther back inside the circular chamber, jumping over each other and stepping on quite a few fingers. Soten was wide awake now, grabbing the tail of the cloud above her as she hopped like a rabbit over Kouga's back.

The lead dire wolf hit the cave with an earth-shaking crash, sending cascades of dirt and gravel showering down the cave walls. It growled ferociously, sending a wave of fetid breath inside before drawing back and shoving its snout inside the opening. Inuyasha shoved Ginta out of the way with one foot, drawing Tetsusiaga, looking to his right and seeing Kagome right next to him with an arrow to her bow, glinting softly lavender.

The dire wolf was whining angrily, having wriggled one paw and most of its head inside, though it was obvious it wouldn't be able to fit through. Claws shot out with a dull sheen. Inuyasha tensed, golden eyes tight as he watched it. Behind him was pandemonium as the large group smashed together tightly. Sango was protecting Kirara against her body while the wolves were desperately trying to protect their tails from wayward feet.

"What happened?" said Kagome, her bowstring firm against her cheek. Inuyasha shook his head.

"We were all done and comin' back here, then I caught a whiff of that damn wolf and there it was! So I used my windscar, and I think I got it, but then all of a sudden there's hundreds of the things!" He curled his lip as the dire wolf suddenly stopped scrambling to get inside. It pricked its ears, fixing two muddy yellow eyes on the huddled group, opening its mouth slowly.

Inuyasha stepped forward lightly, raising his sword."No one chases me like that, you bastard! Get ready to die," he growled and swung.

Tetsusaiga flashed through the air and bounced off with a clang, sending sparks into the air and jolts of pain up Inuyasha's arms. The dire wolf rolled its eyes. "You should get some better banter, half-breed."


	22. Chapter 22

Kagome nearly dropped her bow in shock, gasping. Inuyasha gave a startled bark and leaped backwards. Behind them came curses and scrambling. Miroku's voice could be heard loudly and passionately saying some very un-monk-like, if situationally appropriate, things.

Kagome swallowed as the dire wolf gave a creaky growl, perhaps meant to be a chuckle. _Kouga didn't say they could talk... it's not uncommon for demons but you'd think someone would have noticed! Great, they're even smarter than we thought._ From outside the cave, which was in near full darkness from the demon blocking the sunlight, came ominous sounds of stepping paws and muffled yips from the other dire wolves. The one with its head currently shoved inside the cave was eyeing Inuyasha intently at the moment.

"You have some of those jewel shards, don't you? We heard stories about those." Its voice was low and rough, with a thin whining tone running through it. Kagome shuddered and looked to Inuyasha, who just shrugged, as shocked as she was.

He stepped forward, deciding enough was enough. "I want answers, you filthy demon. Why the hell did you break your treaty with Inutaisho and what makes you think you can just run around destroyin' everything you see?" His fists were white-knuckled against the hilt of Tetsusaiga.

The dire wolf's murky eyes widened. "How do you know about that?"

"Don't worry about it, just tell me why you're here or I'm gonna have to get violent," Inuyasha snarled. Kagome bit her lip. _He's going have to use the windscar- but what if the exit caves in? Then our only way out will be the one they know about! _She began herding the others farther back to a safer distance, pushing them into the tiny canal that led back to the packs one by one, though Kouga pushed his way out of the tangle to stand beside Inuyasha. His blue eyes were dark and shadowed.

"Those are my lands you've been fucking with," he growled, showing his fangs. "Go tell whoever's in charge of your sorry asses that I'm done playing around. If you're not out of my lands it's not going to be pretty."

Inuyasha braced his feet. "He's not kidding, he doesn't like you." Tetsusaiga began to glow softly, and a slight wind stirred up whirlwinds at his feet. "Come to think of it, neither do I. Get out and don't come back!" He swung hard and fast, sending an electric crescent of light into the dire wolf's quickly retreating face. It gave a shrill howl, sending shivers down Kagome's spine. Inuyasha and Kouga jumped backwards as chunks of ceiling fell down with a horrendous crash and a huge cloud of dust filled the suddenly dark cave.

"Crap, I forgot that would happen," came Inuyasha's dismal mutter. Kagome groped around in the dark and took his hand, head whirling. _They can talk! This is way worse than I thought... _"Hey, anyone got a torch? No? Dammit, we'll just hafta walk blind... Come on, we gotta tell Daichi and everyone."

Soft shuffling and murmurs were heard as the large group slowly got moving into the tiny tunnel. The wolves could see at night, but even their sensitive eyes could see nothing in the total absence of any light. They were forced to go slowly, feeling along the walls and sniffing for the previous scent of their passages.

Ayame's voice came, sounding cheerful, if forced. "Well, at least we got our traps laid. I'm sure we'll get some of them!" Kouga snorted ill-temperedly. "Oh, shut up, you. I want to talk to their leader is what I want. Inuyasha, what did you mean by Inutaisho's treaty? Wasn't he your father?"

Inuyasha sighed, his breath warm on Kagome's neck. "Yeah. It's kind of a long story, I already told Kouga... they were makin' trouble a few years back so my old man did battle with their leader. Stakes were whoever lost had to go to the mainland, and luckily Inutaisho won."

There was more silence. Kagome stumbled over a rock on the floor as they hit a patch of tunnel large enough to stand upright, nearly falling before being caught by Inuyasha's strong arm. "Thanks," she whispered.

From up ahead came Kiku's voice, though not directed towards them. She was apparently arguing with Ginta. Kagome cocked her head to hear better, in spite of herself. _Those two definitely have a little something something going on... _"How in all the hells are we going to get out of this one? Fuck, I hate caves. I hate the dark!" The distinctive noise of someone falling came, followed by Ginta's chuckle.

"Ah, those dulcet tones," he said sarcastically. Kiku gave a mock growl.

Kagome shook her head, grinning in amusement, and concentrated on walking. _We've only got another hour in this stupid tunnel. _She gave a smothered gasp as she felt Inuyasha's tongue suddenly run up the length of her neck.

"Whoa!"

Shippou's voice echoed from somewhere behind them. "Are you okay, Kagome? Be careful you don't trip."

She laughed a little shakily. "Uh, yeah, I'm fine." Inuyasha gave an evil snicker as she elbowed him in the ribs. "Cut it out," she hissed.

He elbowed her right back. "Or what?"

"Or you won't be allowed to do that later... when we're alone," she told him, giggling silently as she heard Inuyasha gulp.

It seemed to be a week later that they finally stumbled out into the main wolf cavern, rubbing their eyes and squinting in the torchlight. All the wolves looked up at once and Daichi gave a relaxed wave from the center of his pack. "About time, Kouga!" he said jokingly. "I though you were going to be gone all da- what's the matter?" He stood up quickly, purple eyes concerned at the dusty worried group.

Kouga made his way through the wolves towards Daichi. Hayate tagged along behind, sticking out his chest as he passed Kagome, though she didn't notice. "Let them go, Kouga'll explain to Daichi," she told Inuyasha, who clearly wanted to be in on the discussion.

He shrugged. "Yeah, whatever." They split up slowly, Ginta following Kouga and Kiku heading towards her own pack, sharing a look before they parted. Miroku was holding Shippou and Kirara, while Sango had been appointed carrier of Soten, who was pointing imperiously ahead.

"Go, slayer! I want some food." Sango gave her a dangerous look. "Uh... please." They headed back to their cave.

"I hope our traps work," said Kagome presently, collapsing onto a bumpy rock with a sigh. Her legs were sore after chasing Diachi and Ginta all day long, and the energy she'd used to purify the waters had been costly. "I mean, now we know they're a bit smarter than we thought. And the whole talking thing." She slid further down to the floor, eyelids drooping.

Sango crinkled her nose. "I don't know. I've never come across anything about these demons, nothing in my training at all. It's odd, and now we're at a huge disadvantage."

Inuyasha broke in. "It's not that odd. My old man got really pissed after he sent them off and totally wiped out their lairs, their graveyards... all the signs. It was a long time ago, too."

Miroku was carefully wiping down the rings of his staff, ignoring the leaf caught in his hair. "Yes, that makes sense... Now they know we're trapped in here, with no way out, and they greatly outnumber us. There's more than we estimated originally, assuming that pack that was chasing you was all, Inuyasha. Not to mention that even if we did sneak out of this cave, we'd never be able to hide all these wolves."

Sango was rooting through the pile of materials Myoga had brought. "They have to be exterminated. I hope they haven't gone after the villages nearby, but I suppose that's unlikely."

The hanyou's ears were tense. "Yeah. I dunno, I just wish that I could figure our why they decided to come back here. I mean, there's a hell of a lot more room on the mainland. Not to mention food."

"Have you ever been to the mainland?" Kagome asked, curious. She never had, though her mother had told her it wasn't anything exciting, just a boat ride and a different language. Inuyasha shook his head.

"Nah, never needed to."

Miroku looked pensive as he started at the cold stone floor. After a morning outside, even in the chilly, early winter air, the caves seemed dank and dreary, not to mention absolutely freezing, by comparison. "The last time I saw my old master- what, a year ago?- he said he'd recently had another monk stay with him. This monk had been to the mainland and told him some pretty strange stories."

Shippou leaned forward. "Like what?"

"Well, just that some of the demons there were acting oddly. There are different demons over there, you know, and apparently they'd been growing bolder and bolder, ravaging the towns and villages worse than anyone could recall. He told my master it was pretty bad over there."

Koryuu, still in his cloud form, drifted over. "Soten, tell me why we're here again?'

The girl scowled, exquisite if small armor rattling as she crossed her arms. "I got bored! Besides, it's a wonder Shippou hasn't been killed, wandering around with these fools."

The kitsune cackled. "Yeah!"

Kagome shut her eyes, lips curving in a smile as the friends continued to bicker. She was cold, but she was also exhausted. Her head fell onto her knees as sleep overcame her.

She awoke later, not knowing how long she'd slept, to find Inuyasha's firerat robe tucked over her. The cave was empty, though a torch still burned. She could faintly hear sounds of discussion, wolf-style, coming from the main cavern and presumed that the leaders were informing their packs about the situation. _That's gonna be rough._ Her ankle bumped against her quiver as she snuggled deeper into Inuyasha's spicy-smelling robe.

_Hmm. No one's around. I could always take a look at Mom's book. I hope she's not worried about me... _She slid one hand into the quiver, pulling out the compact book as the memory of Inuyasha's hands rose to her mind. _Definitely gotta read this._

Kagome looked again down the tunnel, checking for anyone coming back, before cracking the book. The pages were slick and glossy, the lettering saucy and round, with hot pink letters, all the i's dotted with hearts. _Kinda cheesy, but okay._ She opened to the first chapter ; How to Get Your Man.

_Useless... I've already got him, I guess. About time, too! _She flipped through the book, stopping as something interesting-looking caught her eye. Bold letters stated 'Tricks to Drive Him Crazy for You'. She certainly didn't mind doing that and began reading the list, running a finger down the lines, one eyebrow jumping slightly. _Twirl your tongue around the tip of it before taking it all in again? Practice with bananas to help overcome your gag reflex? Holy crap, they mean business! _Her friends Yuka and Eri had both done... that, and bragged about it too, ignoring Ayumi and Kagome's burning ears. She was pretty sure Yuka had even had sex before, and she had an annoying habit of pestering Kagome about how far she'd gone with her 'bad-boy' boyfriend.

_She said it's not gross at all, though, that it's even kind of fun. I dunno what Inuyasha would do, though, what if I did it wrong? _She shoved her black hair from her face and kept on reading.


	23. Chapter 23

Soten was the first to wake up the next morning, cherry-red eyes blinking against

the glow of a dying torch. "Shit. Morning. Wake up, Shippou," she muttered, rolling over and poking him in what she was fairly sure were his ribs. He gave a squeak, eyes clenched firmly shut. She kicked him.

"I'm up, I'm up!" the kitsune moaned, rubbing one hand through his messy hair. "What's the matter? And you shouldn't use language like that."

She snorted. "Why not? And nothing's the matter, I'm just bored. Koryuu refuses to get up in the mornings so I decided to make you get up."

Shippou crawled over to light a new torch, shivering. "That's not very nice. Hey, do you still have my crayons?" Soten had pulled the ties from her black hair and was carefully redoing her pigtails, tongue pressed to the corner of her mouth in concentration. She shook her head.

"No way, that was a really really long time ago." She frowned a little, then gave an exasperated growl as one of her ties broke. "Aargh! Stupid things!" Kirara opened one eye lazily, twitched an ear, and went back to sleep, used by now to Shippou's hijinks and figuring this new girl wouldn't be much better.

Shippou snickered, clapping a hand to his mouth and then giving a virtuous look as Soten glared at him, one half of her hair in a neat bun and the other hanging down in disarray. "Hang on, I've got one you can use." He stuck a hand in his shirt and pulled out an extra hair tie. "Here."

She took it, pulling her hair out of her eyes with a sigh of satisfaction. "Thanks. So what's happened since I challenged you?" Shippou shrugged, yawning widely. "Come on, something cool has to have happened! I've been in that stupid castle pretty much the whole time."

"All alone?"

She looked away. "Well, yeah, besides Koryuu. I mean, Inuyasha did kill my brothers, you know."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. But they did kill my dad, too, you know. " He was quiet for a moment. "It musta been lonely...How old are you now anyways? I mean, I'd never be allowed to live by myself." His green eyes were glinting in the firelight of the torch as he held his paws out to its tiny warmth.

"Umm- about eight, I guess. I can't remember my birthday," she admitted. Shippou pointed at her mockingly.

"Ha! I know mine! I'm almost nine, I'm older than you. You have to listen to your elders, and I'm your elder, so you have to do what I say," he informed her. She gave him a dangerous look and cracked her knuckled ominously. "Uh- if you want, I mean."

Kirara, finally driven from her light sleep by their voices, gave a tiny mewl as she stood up and stretched. Sango was immediately awoken by the empty place beside her, though she gave a moan and buried her head in her arms. Kirara licked her face until she finally accepted the inevitable and woke up, staring in consternation at the squabbling twosome. "Uggh... Kagome?"

Kagome's head appeared from inside the shadow of her sleeping bag, brown eyes blinking owlishly. "Time to get up already? Aah, darn it..." She sat up slowly, arching her back, looking over to see Inuyasha leering at her. "Hi, Inuyasha. Hey, who lit the torches?"

Shippou raised a hand, grinning crookedly. "Me."

"Nice job, Shippou," complimented Miroku, whose smoky blue eyes were blurry and lopsided from sleep. He ran a hand through his hair, which was currently sticking up in all possible directions, giving him the look of a lecherous hedgehog. "Remember that time you tried to light us a campfire and you set your tail on fire?" He fell back onto Sango's blankets, laughing.

Shippou scowled. "Shut up! I got them going, didn't I? Next time I'll just let you all wake up blind as bats." Beside him, Soten gave a cackle, eyes shut in merriment.

"Calm down, Shippou, we're just teasing," said Kagome, winking at him and raising her eyebrows toward Soten. The kitsune flushed and gave her a death glare, turning away. "So I suppose we're gonna be busy today, huh, guys?" she said ruefully, clambering out of her sleeping bag. "Man, I could use a bath! This sucks."

Sango nodded. "Busy for sure. I'm gonna let you do all the plotting, though, I really need to get to work on my new hiraikotsu. It'll be nice to have something, even if it's not the good old one."

Inuyasha scooted closer to Kagome, giving her a swift peck on her soft hair. "That ugly old one wasn't no good, it seemed like it was always breaking!" he told the demon slayer. Inuyasha had never been known as a morning person, and Kagome was just glad he'd never gotten hooked on coffee.

Sango made a face at the hanyou, irritated, before moving over to the sack of materials and rummaging through it. Kagome yawned and joined her, wanting to see the process of making such a weapon. Miroku looked at Inuyasha. "I guess we're going to go see the wolves?" he said with a sigh. "I can't imagine what we're going to do, I wish you'd come, Sango." Inuyasha heaved himself to his feet.

The demon slayer flapped a hand at the monk. "Go, you'll do fine. I'm certain our traps got a few of them, anyway." Miroku shook his head in a long-suffering manner as he and Inuyasha tromped out, followed by a fiercely arguing Shippou and Soten, and Kirara, who intended to find a nice private sandy corner somewhere and take care of kitty business.

Kagome knelt down beside the sizeable sack, watching in fascination as Sango pulled out one strange item after another. First came numerous clay jars, fired a deep glossy red and labeled with such things as, 'Fireproof Glaze - Salamander Blood', 'Dragon Scale Dust', and 'Sticky Stuff.'

Sango noticed the odd looks Kagome was giving her and laughed. "We used the products of demons against them. Nothing in regular weapons will hold up for more than one battle, so we have to take our materials and make them stronger than they would normally be."

"Right. What's that?" She pointed towards a small, carved piece of wood, shaped just like a boomerang. It was perhaps two feet long. Sango nudged it toward her.

"Go on, pick it up." Kagome did so, gasping at the weight of it. It was much heavier than she'd expected from the looks of it. Sango took it from her, laughing. "That's going to be my new hiraikotsu."

"No way!" Kagome was mesmerized. "How? Are you making it smaller than the old one?"

"No, the same size. This is a special kind of very dense wood. I'm going to rub this on it-" she held up a large, gurgling gourd full of something sloshing around- "and it makes the wood expand."

Kagome looked perplexed still. _How can something that small get so big? And wouldn't it be really soggy and fall apart? _"Look," explained Sango patiently, "You know how wood, if you soak it in water, swells a little? This is an agent that has exactly that effect, except on a much larger scale. Once the wood has grown to the size I like, I add veneers and polish it to make it even harder. This way, the finished weapon is much lighter than it would be if it had been carved from solid wood."

Kagome grinned, pleased at finally getting it. "That's amazing! I wish I could have met the people in your village, Sango, they must have been incredible."

The slayer quirked her lips, having long ago come to terms with the slaughter of her clansmen. "Yes, they were. Hmm? What's this?" She frowned, one hand deep inside the bag. Kagome raised a brow. Sango pulled out a long, thin piece of bone, softly iridescent in the firelight.

Kagome gasped. "That's that rib, he actually brought it!" She snatched it from Sango's hand without a thought, turning it over and over. _It feels warm! _

Her friend was looking at her as if she was crazy. "That's just a rib, Kagome, why did you want it?"

Kagome blushed. "Uh- I don't know. I thought maybe I could make it into a bow. Look, it's really springy!" She stood up and bent the bone down hard to demonstrate, ignoring Sango's instinctive flinch as she anticipated a break. "What's it from, Sango? It's got that weird rainbow kind of color."

She squinted at it. "I couldn't tell you- definitely a mammal, though. You know, my father once told me that you can make a weapon out of absolutely anything at all, and if that bone feels right to you, you should give it a try."

"It does, like I've had it forever." Kagome stroked it softly.

"Then I'll help you with it later. But first come help me put this on my boomerang!" said Sango, holding up hands dripping with a vivid orange goo. Kagome stuck out her tongue in disgust, laughing, before setting the rib down carefully and going to help her friend.


	24. Chapter 24

Hayate was fidgeting, tail swishing back and forth, incredibly bored. He looked around for something to do, grimacing in frustration. Most of his pack were napping, and he saw no sign of that other odd group, the one with that enticing girl in it. Kouga was off in a corner, sketching something on a wall with charcoal, shaking his head as he motioned to Daichi, who was next to him. _Probably plotting some more stupid ideas, _he thought scornfully. _It's all their fault I brought my pack to this damned cave- if I'd had my way we'd have gone off to the coast and just stayed outta the dires' way. Kouga sure thinks he's something special with all his planning. _He took an appreciative stare as Ayame walked to join the other two leaders at the stone wall, firey hair swinging, before pushing himself up.

_I might as well go talk to Kagome. _She'd been polite enough to him, if distant and distracted, during their recent trip outside. Hayate had angled to be in her group but Kouga had forced him to tag along with that wretched slayer and her burning herbs! The tall, gray eyed wolf strode along to the group's area, blinking in the smoke from the single torch lighting it and hoping that annoying hanyou wasn't in there. Obviously he had something going on with that little priestess, though Hayate was sure she'd take a full demon any day.

He poked his head into the cavern, squinting a little. Kagome and Sango looked up, surprised. "Hi, Hayate," said Sango, one corner of her mouth curling. "How are your eyes?"

He glared at her before shifting his attention to the delectable dark-eyed human kneeling next to the slayer. "Kagome, mind if I join you ladies?" She shook her head, smiling.

"Not at all, come on in. What's up?"

Hayate shrugged, going over next to her. "Just a little nervous about everything- What the hell is that?" He pointed with one clawed finger to the orange goo dripping from one of her hands and the object in front of her, covered in the same. It smelled acidic and sharp to his sensitive nose.

Sango decided to handle this one. "It's a material for my new boomerang, it helps swell the wood."

The wolf shuddered. He was pretty sure he recognized the scent of kidneys. "Right... so where's everyone else at? I didn't see them."

"I think they're on watch at the front opening, Miroku anyways," reported Kagome, dimpling one cheek adorably with a finger. Hayate found himself fighting to keep from leaning in and biting her full pink lips. He scooted closer while she was distracted. "Inuyasha's talking to Daichi and Kouga about something or other." She frowned a little. "About tomorrow's plans, I guess. We really have to move, but I hope that our traps have managed to level out the numbers a little."

Sango looked at Hayate suspiciously, having gotten an all-too-clear idea of his personality during the morning spent laying the traps. "So, is something bothering you?"

He gave a sparkling, practiced smile. "No, I just wanted to talk to Kagome here for a moment." Kagome raised an eyebrow and he saw the images from the book flash through his mind. "Alone." Sango looked at Kagome, who nodded. The slayer stood up, wiping her hands on a piece of material as Kagome did the same.

"I'll leave you two alone, then." She headed off to join Miroku and leave her hiraikotsu to grow, casting Kagome a warning glance before she left. Hayate didn't miss it, and he promptly decided that if he was ever given the opportunity to shove her off a cliff on the sly, he'd take it in a heartbeat. Kagome was looking at him curiously, deep brown eyes wide.

He smiled roguishly at her. "So you and Inuyasha are an item, hey?"

"Uh- well, I guess so, yeah. Why?" He scented suspicion and confusion coming off her.

"It just seems odd to me that a powerful priestess like yourself would be with a- well, a half-breed," he said, unknowingly presenting an argument that would only make sense to a rank-hungry female wolf. Kagome, however, was quite offended, not liking his closeness or the disturbing shine in his eyes, which kept straying to places she didn't care for on her body.

"I happen to like Inuyasha quite a bit," she told him angrily, standing up. He followed her, snickering at what he supposed was a joke. Kagome whirled around, jabbing him in the chest, squarely on the barely-healed mark of her last assault on him. "I don't see as it's any of your business, either, Hayate! Is that all you came in here for, to badger me about my private affairs?"

He smiled toothily before wrapping a hand around her waist. "Exactly- _private _things." Kagome was moments away from hitting him square in the jaw when he captured her wrists easily in his other hand, lowering his lips to hers.

_Oh gods get off GET OFF! _Kagome was struggling like mad as Hayate backed her up and pinned her to the wall, a little confused by the anger and fear he was smelling, though he was still sure that she must just be afraid of what the half-breed would do- any woman with a book like hers couldn't be shy or prudish. Kagome wrenched her mouth away for a moment, letting out a short shriek before Hayate covered her lips again. She gagged at his lukewarm breath, managing to land a good swift knee to his crotch. The wolf staggered a few steps back, eyes bulging as she wiped her mouth furiously, bolting away.

"No you don't!" he snarled breathlessly, snatching her ankle and sending her hard to the ground. Not a single female he'd ever pursued had rejected him, afraid of his status and temper, and the fact that this puny human would enrage him. Kagome flipped over, kicking at him and screaming at the top of her voice in the scant moments she had before he pulled himself on top of her and covered her mouth. She felt his heavy weight crushing her and with his hand atop her mouth could barely get any air. "I saw those dirty little pictures of yours," he said roughly, face flushed and eyes opaque as he fumbled with the ties on his armor.

Kagome was almost out of her mind with terror, praying for Inuyasha- for anyone at all!- to have heard her screams. _He saw my book? It must have been him who went through our stuff! _The wolf's face was wild and lustful as she struggled for breath, pulling desperately to free one hand and purify him until he was nothing more than a burning cinder on the ground. Her entire body rebelled at his touch as she bucked beneath him. Taken aback by her fierceness, Hayate paused for a moment, then realized something shocking. From her scent, she was a virgin! What was an untouched girl doing with the book he'd stumbled on?

He hesitated, fighting his lust, then rolled off her. She leapt up with a ear-piercing shriek, backing away as he sat up and put his face in his palms, the enormity of his actions falling on him like a ton of rocks. For the past few days, all Hayate'd been able to think about was this girl's slender curves and the things she would do to him. _I was- I was about a second away from raping her... there are few things more shameful to my people. _He look up slowly, expecting to see an arrow pointed at his face and knowing he fully deserved it. Kagome was a good ten feet away, eyes huge and her entire body glowing ominously, inky hair floating in a staticky halo around her head. The wolf saw her trembling and almost cried. _I know that I've hurt some females- maybe ones who didn't really desire so much to be with me- but nothing like this._

Kagome was wishing that Inuyasha would come and kill Hayate so that she could pass out. She wanted to run, but something in the wolf's sagging face stopped her. She pursed her lips and blew deep breaths in and out, adrenaline flooding her veins. The tall wolf put his head back in his hands dejectedly and she frowned.

When he spoke, his voice was rough. "Go on, use your powers on me, I deserve it. Go on." She didn't move, though at the moment she could feel more power in her blood that she'd ever felt before; her palms itched with it. Hayate looked up at her, his face twitching. "I just-"

She took another step back, giving him a flinty stare. "You what, Hayate? You thought that no meant yes?" Her voice was shrill. "You had better get out of this cave and take your chances with the dire wolves or I'll fry you to a crisp!"

He actually flinched. "Kagome- I- fine." He stood up slowly, walking away. Kagome watched him carefully as he left, his hunched shoulders prompting a slight pang. She reprimanded herself furiously, feeling her arms and hips and knowing she'd have some bruises come tomorrow. _He tries to rape me and I feel bad for him? Stop it, he's crazy! I should have killed him. _She resolved to do so the next time she saw him, and for one of the few times in her life, wished for someone's violent, messy death. His touch had revolted her and at the memory of his lips, her gorge rose.

_I need Inuyasha. _She grabbed her bow and ran, blasting through the startled, crowded wolves like a rocket as pent-up tears slipped down her cheeks. The hanyou was standing by Kouga, Ayame, and Daichi at the far corner of the cavern, absorbed in the diagram on the wall, and didn't notice Kagome's approach until the lesser wolf that had accompanied Ayame gave a warning yelp. He turned just in time to catch a now sobbing Kagome as she slammed into his arms, his nose aflare with the scents of upset and anger. He took a deeper sniff and smelled Hayate.

The hanyou took Kagome by the shoulders and held her away from him, searching her face. "What's the matter? What happened?" She looked up at him and he saw her lips were swollen. His ears were instantly pinned to his head.

"I- I-" she swallowed, struggling to gain control. "I got in a fight with Hayate and he left."

Ayame came over and rubbed a hand on Kagome's back, her face concerned. Kouga looked incensed and Daichi's lips were pursed tight as he shook his head. The wise older leader had predicted nothing but trouble for Hayate, and his cunning eyes noticed Kagome's askew jacket and tangled hair. He surmised what she was leaving out, but said nothing.

Inuyasha was emitting a low, steady, enraged snarl without seeming to notice. "That bastard! Did he hurt you?" _I should have been with her! _She shook her head, grabbing his arm as he moved to draw Tetsusaiga and follow Hayate.

"Just- it's okay, he won't be back. I think he left for good."

Daichi's tail went stiff with shock and Ayame gave an uncontrolled gasp. "For good?" she yelped. "Surely he's just in the passages somewhere!" Kouga, next to her, laid a hand on her shoulder warningly.

Kagome looked perplexed as she pressed herself into Inuyasha's arms. "No, I told him to go for good, and he said fine."

"But he wouldn't leave his pack! That's- that's crazy, no wolf'd do that. What'd you fight about that could be that bad?" prodded Kouga. Ayame stepped on his foot slyly, provoking a muffled whine.

Kagome bit her lip, feeling Inuyasha's smooth firerat against her face. _Won't he get mad? What if he thinks I led Hayate on or something- no, this is Inuyasha. He would believe me no matter what. _"He tried to- um, kiss me. And I said no and he got kind of mad..." She trailed off, hoping she wouldn't have to say anymore. She saw from the wolves' exchanged glances that they understood her implied story all too well, though Inuyasha was frowning- he hadn't caught the insinuation. "And he left his pack over a kiss? What-" Kouga coughed. Inuyasha looked back at him in annoyance.

"I'll tell you later, mutt," said Kouga distinctly. Kagome shot him a grateful glance, cheeks red.

"I- whatever. Kagome, come on. I'll make you some rice or something." He picked her up and she hid her face in his neck as he walked around the perimeter of the cavern. Hot smoke brushed her face as he stole a torch from the wall to replace the one in their cave, and she sighed in relief as he held her close, his strong hands slowly calming her as he stroked her back.

Daichi was highly disturbed, pacing back and forth before the charcoal diagram in agitation. Kagome and Ayame watched, no less disturbed. They all looked up as Ginta came running up, Sango close behind him. "Kouga! Hayate just left! He told us to move the boulder, and the monk and this girl didn't know and they did it and he's gone! For good, they said!" His voice betrayed his panic.

"Where were you, lettin' a leader leave his pack without a reason?" rumbled Kouga. Ginta cringed, tail between his knees. Sango looked back and forth in bewilderment.

"Miroku and I just thought that he was doing something for you all. Was he not supposed to leave?"

Ayame sighed and leaned against Kouga. A little surprised, he slung an arm around her shoulders. "It wasn't your fault. But for a lone wolf to leave his pack, forever- in essence, it's suicide." She looked up bleakly. "Their pack will be leaderless, and a pack must have an alpha. The last thing we can deal with right now is a full-out riot to find the strongest. We're attacking the dire wolves tomorrow!"

Author says: Well this is coming right along! Expect regular updates for a while, until my classes get super intense anyway. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy it! :)


	25. Chapter 25

Kagome had awoken early. Everyone's internal clock was at different times after a few days in the cave, so no matter what time you were up, there would usually be someone to keep you company. Inuyasha was sleeping like a baby, snoring slightly, strands of pale hair fallen over his face. _He's so cute, and he was so nice to me yesterday. A year ago I'd never have believed that was Inuyasha!_ Miroku had somehow managed to snuggle up to Sango in his sleep, and Kirara, Shippou, Koryuu and Soten were curled up together in one alternately furry and scaly lump. Kagome smiled to herself, glancing over at Sango's hiraikotsu. They'd stayed up late coating it with coat upon coat of quick-drying lacquer and it looked beautiful, brand-new and shiny, the edges gleaming and dangerously sharp.

She'd been up even later, plaiting a bowstring for her new bow from carefully waxed sinew. She liked to keep her bow unstrung when she wasn't using it, in order to keep unnecessary stress off the wood, though she had a feeling with her new bow, that wouldn't be a problem. Sango had been surprised at how little work had needed to be done to shape the rib; all they'd had to do was an hour's worth of heavy sanding and some slight carving on the end to hold the string.

Kagome looked at the string for a moment, face somber, than picked it up. She strung her bow with caution, having had painful experience of getting smacked in the face with it, bracing it against her knee and slipping the loop of the bowstring into the notch at the top with a grunt. _I'm definitely going to need this today. _She rummaged through her pack and grabbed her last, hoarded energy bar, going weak at the knees as she rolled the dried fruits and sweet yogurt around in her mouth. _Aah, modern food! Divine. _She changed her shirt and socks quickly, heading out into the main cavern.

As she entered it, a few wolves raised their heads to look at her. She noticed Hayate's pack was more agitated that the rest and felt her stomach flip-flop. Daichi had taken steps to prevent an all-out brawl to determine the new alpha, telling them that Hayate had been dispatched to the caved-in back entrance to see if it could be cleared. These were wolves to the bone, though, cunning and with an instinct for lies, and more than one had watched the purple-eyed leader's retreating back with suspicious gazes. Kiku in particular had been skeptical, promptly going to Ginta and grilling him, though he'd refused to give anything away, under orders of painful death from Kouga.

_I hope nothing happens, _Kagome thought anxiously. _It feels wrong leading them into battle under false pretenses like this… But I can't tell them, Ayame's right. _She nearly bumped into said red-haired wolf as she wandered about the cave. Ayame looked up, green eyes like deep ocean pools in the almost non-existent light. "Hi, Kagome. How you doing?"

Kagome plopped down next to her. "I'm ok. I don't know, though- I still think it's great that he's gone-" _What a lie. I wish he was here so I could sic Inuyasha on him and watch him get turned into mincemeant – _"but what are we going to do about his pack?"

Ayame held up one finger as Kiku approached, her black furs blending in with the shadows. Kagome gave a shy smile, having never really talked to the lean, straight-backed wolf, a little intimidated by her sharp eyes and alert face. She reminded Kagome of a hawk, always watching everything. She nodded to Ayame, waiting until the green-eyed leader nodded back before sitting down. "So Hayate finally crossed the line, hmm? Who was it?" She addressed her words to Kagome, who jumped.

"Uh- I don't know what you're talking about, Kiku, he's just-"

"Cut the crap with me. I know they way he was with the females in our pack, and I saw how you were yesterday. I wouldn't have blamed you if you'd'a fried him, mind; what he did, that's unforgivable." She leaned forward, studying Kagome's dumbstruck face with keen eyes. Her rich brown hair was tied back tightly for battle and her armor looked freshly polished, Kagome noticed. Ayame was showing teeth, not liking this at all. Kiku continued. "All I want to know is, is he gone for good? Or will he be back?"

Ayame spoke up. "Why do you want to know that?"

"I want the pack. It's about time someone with sense took over our pack and brought us back. Hayate was more useless'n a fish with legs most of the time, and we used to be the strongest fighters of all the packs, time we brought that back."

"Not mine!"

The two females exchanged fanged grins. "Right… So, is he gone for good? Because if he is, I have quite a few asses to go kick."

Kagome gulped. "Uh- yeah, he's gone. For good, I mean." That was all Kiku needed to hear. She jumped up lithely, turning on her heel and strolling back to her pack. _Maybe literally, now, __her__ pack! This is crazy. _Kagome glanced over at Ayame, eyes worried. The white-fur clad wolf giggled at her panic-stricken expression.

"Breathe, Kagome. None of this is your fault, and I have to say it ought to be fairly easy of Kiku to take over that pack. It's like she said, under Hayate they all got lazy."

"But we're going to go fight the demons in, what, two hours?"

"I'd rather see a wolf pack go into battle with a new leader than without one any day," said Ayame firmly. Kagome nodded reluctantly, turning to watch Kiku. Slowly the chatter and murmur of the wolves quieted to an eerie silence as all throughout the cavern, they began to notice Kiku. She strode right into the center of her pack, tail swishing, and planted her hands on her hips authoritatively.

"Hayate's gone," she said bluntly. "He attacked one of the human girls." A buzz of whispers and growls started up, and Kagome looked sideways. "I want this pack. It's about time someone with brains in their skull did somethin' with it. So, anyone else want it?" She threw the challenge out loudly, eyes fiery. There was more shifting and muttering, and around Kagome, Ayame's pack were craning their necks over interestedly. Ayame raised her eyebrows at Kagome, who was quivering with apprehension. _What if something crazy happens? If someone gets really hurt it'll be my fault- damn Hayate!_

A short, compact wolf stood up from Hayate's pack. He was rippling with muscles, obviously better fed than most of the others, with ragged blue-lacquered armor and auburn hair. "I'll take that bet, Kiku," he told her good-naturedly. She grinned at him toothily as they began to circle.

"I said someone with brains, Gorou." Appreciative snickers rose from the surrounding wolves, who had prudently stepped back to give the combatants space. A few four-legged wolves had to be shoved aside, as they had no interest whatsoever in the proceedings of their two-legged counterparts.

_What kind of weapon is Kiku going to use? _The auburn-haired wolf had pulled out a pair of short knives, she saw, squinting and wishing mightily that she had a wolf's vision in the dark. She saw something glint on the woman's knuckles as Kiku suddenly swung at Gorou's head, wickedly fast. He managed to dodge some of the blow, getting clipped with a nasty, meaty thunk, taking the opportunity to slam a knee into her stomach. She grunted, springing back just in time to avoid a knife to the gut, slamming her opponent on the jaw. He gave a whimper, jaw lolling weakly, obviously broken. They separated for a moment, catching their breath. Kagome was shocked. _Kiku's fast! She's got on some kind of iron glove! _She found herself biting the inside of her cheek hard and had to force herself to stop. The air practically crackled. This would affect all the packs in one way or another.

The fighters came together again in a resounding clash, whirling and snarling viciously. It was serious now, and Kiku came away from the scuffle with a deep slash on one high cheekbone, while Gorou's tail was hanging at an odd angle. "Had enough?" he taunted, wincing as he spoke, words slurred. "First blood to me, it looks like."

She snorted, breathing deep and fast with an open mouth. "Blood's not what counts." As he charged her, she waited until the last possible second, than moved like lightning, sliding to the side on one leg and cracking Gorou squarely on the back of his head with her metal-clad knuckles. He stumbled forward a few more steps, mouth gaping open like a fish, then his eyes rolled whitely up into his head and he fell.

A few muttered cheers broke out from the wolves around them. A female, probably Gorou's mate, came up and dragged him off, shaking her head as her tail flicked back and forth angrily.

Kiku looked ragged as blood dripped off her chin, but she kept it up, looking around arrogantly. "Anyone else wanna piece of me?"

Kagome was waiting with bated breath, and gave a jump and a shriek that sounded loud in the silence as Inuyasha plopped down next to her, followed by the rest of the group. He looked at her and made a face. "So I guess they figured it out, huh? How's she doin'?"

"Who, Kiku? She's doing pretty good. How many wolves will she have to fight?"

He shrugged, golden gaze intent. "However many challenge her. Fights for alpha can get pretty nasty sometimes. The smart wolves'll wait until she's tired and then take her out." Kagome inhaled sharply, and he looked at her. "It ain't your fault, Kagome, and frankly I think Kiku'll be fine, she's fast. Seems like the pack'll be happy with her, too, I imagine anythin's and improvement over that jackass Hayate. Ow!" Ayame poked him sharply in the ribs, shushing him violently with one finger. He grumbled to himself, rubbing his side until Kagome took his hand, trying to calm her nerves.

"Come on, no one?" mocked Kiku, wiping the blood from her chin and glancing about her. A few wolves shifted, but no one stood up. "Come on! If you want it even a little you better fight me now, 'cuz once I'm leader I'm not gonna play so nice."

Inuyasha quirked his lips. "Ha! Oh, look, another one." _Good thing I'm a hanyou. If I was human, my hand woulda fallen off by now, Kagome's holding it so tight. _Beside him, Miroku was watching with fascination, always eager to observe something new.

This time Kiku's challenger was a female, frankly gorgeous, with bombshell curves and limpid blue eyes. She gave a tiny smile as she unsheathed a more traditional katana. Miroku was observing this sight eagerly too, until he felt Sango looking at him. He coughed, looking away from the blue-eyed wolf.

The two females fought viciously in the silent cavern, every move of their feet echoing. Kiku was put in a leg-lock, straining to push the other's blade away from her with her shielded knuckles, and finally resorted to biting her calf, digging her fangs in with a snarl and shaking her head back and forth. She received a good hard kick in the head as she scrambled away, but the copious blood on her face and the sudden, severe limp of her opponent made it worth it. Kiku finally ended it at the cost of a deep slice across her shoulder, smashing the challenger in the head so hard that blood streamed from both ears. She moaned, rising to all fours and crawling away, shaking her head spastically and finally falling to her stomach as Kiku delivered one last, hard kick to her side.

Kagome 's mouth was open in shock. She squeezed Inuyasha's hand, hissing, "She kicked her while she was down! That's horrible!"

He laughed shortly. "No, it ain't. You gotta be like that if you wanna run a pack, or no one'll give a damn what you say. It's just life."

Shippou snickered. "Hey, look at Ginta." The wolf's jaw was hanging open and he was staring at Kiku's bloody, battered figure with sparkling, dreamy eyes. Kagome had to fight to keep from bursting into hysterical giggles, and she could see Kouga behind Ginta, covering his mouth with one hand, shoulders shaking. Kiku was smiling back at the lovelorn wolf, one eye slowly swelling shut. She crossed her arms.

"That all?" There was a long, long moment of silence, until a gray-haired older wolf started laughing.

"I think the pack's all yours, Kiku," he informed her. The expressions on the pack around her confirmed his words, and Kiku gave a shaky laugh before sitting down hard. Ginta was making his way towards her and she looked up as he reached her. They shared a long look before he gave her a hand up, letting her lean on him as she walked away to bandage her wounds.

"Awww," sighed Kagome sentimentally. "They're so cute! I can't believe Kiku's the new leader now. But at least they've got someone to lead them today..." The mood of the group sombered as Ayame began sharpening her daggers again, the ominous rasping blending with the resumed talk of the wolves.


	26. Chapter 26

It was high noon outside as the wolves waited inside, agitated, freshly sharpened weapons clutched tightly in their hands. Everyone winced as the harsh grind of the boulder being moved reached their ears, and Kagome had two arrows on her bowstring as she stood next to Inuyasha.

He looked at her, eyes somber. "I can smell 'em from here, they're already out there." She took a deep breath. _I hope everyone comes out of this all right, I hope the wolves get their land back... _Inuyasha leaned down and kissed her softly, pulling away after a moment and staring straight ahead. _I'm gonna have to keep an eye on Kagome in this shindig. She's not gonna get hurt on my watch!_

Shippou and Soten had been instructed to stay close by Kirara and Sango, though Soten had thrown a fit, insisting that she could kill some stupid dire wolf any day, though the kitsune had managed to convince her how scary they were. Kouga, Ayame, Daichi, and a tightly bandaged Kiku were each with their packs, giving encouragement and getting them ready for the coming battle.

"It's open!" came the call. There was a moment of hush, before Kouga's deep voice roared out.

"Attack!"

It was like thunder as they began to race from the passageway into the sunlight and fresh air. Kagome was swept up in the charge, her quiver a comforting solid weight on her back, and as she burst into the open she could hear Sango's warlike shrieks and the thrum of her new hiraikotsu. Then the stench of the dire wolves hit her nose and she gagged slightly, looking around in shock at the numbers of demons, slavering, the bony spikes along their sides rattling like bones as they brushed together.

Inuyasha was beside her, Tetsusaiga out and glowing. "We got some of 'em, at least," he said in satisfaction, seeing fresh wounds and broken legs, before hacking his way gleefully into the melee. Kagome shook her head at the sickening thunks and yelps reaching her ears, looking up just in time as a gigantic dire wolf bore down on her, fangs at the ready. She released an arrow into its eye, skidding out of the way as it crashed to earth with a ear-shattering howl. Blood and liquid spattered across her cheek, but she didn't have time to think about it. There were fights all around her; she saw four wolves prodding a demon with their spears, trying to reach the throat, while another had somehow managed to climb onto its shoulders and was stabbing it, again and again. Out of the corner of her eye, Kagome caught the blazing light of Inuyasha's windscar. _He's okay, good... crap! _Another wolf was angling for her and she raised her bow, snarling widely without even noticing.

It seemed as if time had stopped for the wolf packs. Exhaustion settled in slowly as weapons chipped and armor cracked. Some wolves had fallen, though even more dire wolves were down, their hulking bodies huge mounds among the trees, and the ravens had already settled in among the branches, eager to sample the buffet.

Hayate was in one of those trees, high up and concealed carefully behind the thick cover of leaves. After leaving the cave, he'd gone wandering, fully expecting to be a dire wolf's dinner. Instead, he'd been knocked on the head and dragged away. When he'd regained consciousness, before him was the leader of the dire wolves, a grizzled, grey beast with cloudy eyes and mangy fur.

The gray-eyed wolf grimaced at the memory, shaking his tail uneasily. He'd cracked like an egg, spilling everything- their plans for battle, their numbers, who was leading, their best warriors- and he'd done it with enthusiasm, though now, seeing his former pack beleaguered and bleeding, he was regretting his hasty attempt at revenge. All his instincts were screaming for him to jump down, dive into the fray and protect his pack.

Hayate let his gaze drift over the battle, catching sight of a whirling crimson dervish. His eyebrows jumped up involuntarily as he watched the figure move, before slivers of blazing light caught his eye. The wolf's hand went unconsciously to the burn on his chest as Kagome's dark hair whipped back and forth next to Inuyasha's silvery mane. She was slapping two arrows onto her string at a time, though by now, her quiver was much lighter than she would have liked, and from all around her came the yips and snarls of wounded wolves. Hayate watched her, biting his lip, as Inuyasha was swept away from her in the tide of battle, though the hanyou immediately began clawing his way back to her side.

Kagome's face was alight with rage, sending an arrow streaking into the throat of a dire wolf, and another into the shoulder of one menacing Miroku. Her blood was hot and boiling through her veins and she felt as if nothing but fighting had ever happened to her, as if she'd be here forever. She reached a hand back into her quiver- and froze for a moment, eyes widening in panic, as nothing but air met her searching hand. She looked up slowly to see a huge dire wolf looking her way and began breathing quickly, searching for Inuyasha and not seeing him. The dire gave a strange grating sound as it hit aside a wolf demon with one broad clawed paw, stalking towards her with every tooth in its mouth displayed threateningly.

Kagome was shaking, having come out of her almost trance-like state with a bang. She spread her feet a little, feeling power tingling in her hands, although she could tell most of it had been spent on her arrows. _It'll have to do,_ she thought grimly, raising her palms to the wolf as it rose up before her, jaws gaping- and just as she was prepared to spend the last of her energy in a final effort, it gave a jerk, and then another mouth opened up in its throat, grinning obscenely as the demon gurgled and fell, skidding the ground before her.

Kagome put a hand to her mouth as Hayate's bloody face appeared over the prone demon's shoulder. He stared at her for a moment, not at all sure why he'd done half the things he'd done since this girl had appeared in his life, only knowing she was special, before the razored fangs of another dire wolf closed around his belly and he was lifted into the air, screaming horribly as he was ripped nearly in half, his gray eyes locked on his pack as he died. Kagome shuddered, leaning over and vomiting as Inuyasha finally worked his way to her side, taking in the scene with confusion. Kagome looked up at him with glazed eyes, panting. "Gods, Inuyasha," she moaned. "We have to end this!"

He looked at her, heart tearing at the new hardness in her face. In his years he'd been in more than one battlefield, and he knew they were hundreds of times uglier than a little fight with a few demons. "It's gonna be over soon, look." She stared around, bemused, as the wolf demons slowly pressed forward with hoarse yells, triumph creeping into their voices as the few dire wolves able to walk turned and fled, perhaps a score left out of hundreds. The pine trees shook as they went.

It was an odd, sudden, rather anticlimatic ending. A few wolves followed the retreating demons, though they soon came back. The leaders moved through their packs, counting losses and searching for wounded, of which there were many. Kagome and Inuyasha began walking, eventually finding all their friends alive, though in sorry shape. Miroku and Sango were covered in deep cuts, and Sango had lost much of her left ear, her entire side covered in a red crust. Kirara was right beside her, licking the wound gently, her beautiful fur shredded and covered in filth, one paw held high in the air. Shippou and Soten were relatively whole, having stayed out of the way atop the cliff, sending down their attacks from above. It took Kagome a while to realize her upper left thigh was oozing blood slowly- she wouldn't have noticed if Inuyasha hadn't managed to pick out the scent of her blood. The wound was nasty, but not extremely serious, and all in all, the group had escaped relatively unscathed.

The four wolf packs hadn't been so lucky, however. Nearly every single wolf still standing was on their feet only through sheer grit and determination, and many survivors were having to crawl or be carried back to the cave, which now seemed to be miles upon miles away. Trails of blood showed where they'd gone. Many wolves were dead, as well, each new discovery announced by loud keening howls. Kouga's pack in particular, always small, had been devastated, and Ayame was the only thing holding him up as he saw his wolves.

Inuyasha took an utterly exhausted Kagome over to Daichi. "Keep an eye on her, will you?" he said abruptly, stroking a hand across her cheek. "Wait for me inside, I'll be back before you know it." He was off, Tetsusaiga in hand. _Someone's gotta take care of these damn dire wolves._ His sensitive nose had detected lingering life in some of them, and he got the job done quickly and mercifully, though it was less than they would have done. When he reached the last one still clinging to life, he prodded it cautiously, then crouched down by its head.

The monster didn't move, so he poked it again, this time with the pointed edge. "Open your eyes, bastard, and I'll end it for you quick." It cracked one eye, staring at him blearily. "Good. Now listen careful like. I'm Inutaisho's son." The dire wolf's eye was rolling wildly as it tried to focus through the dark mists surrounding it. "Why are you back here? Why'd you break the treaty?"

Nothign but silence, and Inuyasha gave an infuriated growl. The dire wolf licked its lips once, shutting its eyes as it spoke, voice so thin that Inuyasha had to strain to hear it over the shrieks of ravens and calls of the wolves. "Worse there than here. We had to."

Inuyasha frowned. "Why, what's goin' on over on the mainland? You had to? Come on!"

The dire wolf gave a low whine, trembling spastically, eyes still clenched shut. "It's the dragons. There's no more rain... The Jade Emperor has turned his face from all the demons because of the dragons, he won't stop them, he doesn't care."

"The Jade Emperor? Who the fuck is that? And no rain?"

The demon's back arched as it clawed at the air, tongue lolling. "There're more dragons than ever... and there's no rain..." A rattling gasp escaped from its throat as it gave a final breath. Inuyasha shook his head in disgust, standing up and turning back to the slowly moving wolves. Before he went inside the cave to find Kagome, he took one last look at the dire wolf's prone body, golden eyes somber. _No place in the whole mainland was safe for them? Who's this Jade Emperor? And when they talk about dragons, what kind did they mean?_ He stepped into the dark tunnel with drooping ears.


	27. Chapter 27

Kagome looked up, startled out of her doze, as Inuyasha's silhouette appeared in the dim cave. She held out a hand to him, not saying a word, and he sat down, cradling her against his chest. She curled up, feeling her muscles finally begin to relax as a strand of his long hair tickled her nose and his warmth seeped into her. Inuyasha's eyes were closed tightly as he pressed her to him, each giving the other renewed security and relief after the awful day.

Kagome was chewing absently on her bottom lip as she stared off into the corners of the cave. All her friends were sleeping the dead sleep that only comes after utter exhaustion, Sango with a fresh bandage twined around her head, glowing in the torchlight. Kagome took a deep breath in and blew it out, trying not to let her mind wander back to the horrific injuries and atrocities she'd witnessed. Inuyasha felt her wince and twined a strong arm around her waist, grimacing as his sore muscles twinged. "You okay?" he murmured into her ear.

She raised an eyebrow, though he couldn't see it, as her face was pressed firmly against his neck. "Uh- not really."

The hanyou sighed. "Kagome- I'm sorry you had to see a battle like that, I wish Kouga'd never showed up!"

"Don't be stupid, the wolves only won by an inch as it was, without us they'd have been wiped out and those dire wolves would still be running around." She shifted, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck and starting to massage his ears, craving nothing more than the salve of his skin on hers. He grinned into her neck, his ears twitching in bliss.

"It's not your fault," she continued somberly, moving her hands to his tired shoulders and digging her fingers in firmly, eliciting a happy groan. "I suppose you've seen more than your share of- stuff like that?"

Inuyasha pulled away and looked into her dark eyes. "Yeah. It sucks every time, too. But you did real good."

She gave a small smile before running a nail along his jawline, twisting around and kissing him deeply, his lips deliciously rough against hers. She sucked on his lower lip delicately, rubbing her hands down the small triangle of skin exposed at the neckline of his firerat. "Thanks. Inuyasha- let's go somewhere. I mean- I need some distraction." Kagome was struggling for words, but Inuyasha understood, feeling the exact same way. All he wanted to was to bury himself in her sweetness and forget everything that had happened today.

He stood up, holding her, and crept out of the cave. She shut her eyes, hair hanging in her face, and as he slid around the wolves, searching the cave system for someplace private, Inuyasha thought at first she'd fallen asleep. When he finally stopped, though, she opened her eyes, swinging her feet down to the ground, staring at him with an unreadable expression. He was taken aback as she flung herself on him like a wildcat, tongue tangling with his in an explosion of need. _Holy crap! _The hanyou gave a soft growl as he responded, dragging his fangs along her lips and running his hands up and down her delicious curves, turning her to press her up against a wall. She dug her hands into his hair, reveling in the surprising softness, then slid her hands into his firerat, tugging at his shirt and flinging it aside as it finally came untied.

Kagome raked her nails down Inuyasha's broad chest, hearing his harsh breathing in her ear as he started to nibble his way down the long column of her neck, big hands encircling her possessively. Kagome leaned against him harder, gasping a little as he slipped a hand up under her filthy sweatshirt, sliding it up slowly as though revealing a treasure. He nearly died at the sight of her smooth, ivory-white stomach, and she laughed breathlessly as he tugged the sweatshirt completely off, throwing it aside and revealing the most seductive piece of clothing he'd ever seen or imagined in his lifetime; the soft slopes of her breasts were held in scarlet satin, complete with deep blue ribbons. _She looks good in red,_ he thought, brushing a hand over her breasts and feeling her press up to him even harder.

The hanyou kissed her again, his hands eagerly exploring the new territory he'd exposed. She moaned into his mouth as he touched her, although when he tried to remove her bra, he couldn't for the life of him figure out how.

Kagome was giggling helplessly as he gave an annoyed growl. "Dammit! Kagome, how do you get that thing off?" He was struck silent for a moment. "Uh- I mean, if you want to, you don't-"

She reached around to her back with one hand and did something, causing her bra to fall nearly off. Kagome tossed it aside, looking into Inuyasha's eyes as his mouth fell open, seeing overwhelming lust- but also concern for her. "I want to. Believe me, I want to- do everything," she whispered in his ear, feeling with a tremble his reaction to her words against her thigh. She was nervous and a little unsure, but even more certain that she did want this. _Inuyasha will be gentle, he knows I'm a- I've never done this before. _

With supreme effort, Inuyasha kept himself from shredding her jeans and taking her right then and there. He actually pulled back a bit, looking down at her beautiful face and body and feeling amazed that his was actually happening, and determined to make it perfect for her. She bit her lip, then reached down and undid the button on her jeans, the sound of the zipper loud in the silent cave. "Just- go slow, okay? You know I've never done this before," she said slowly, attempting a big smile.

Inuyasha's expression was inscrutable, his ears flickering back and forth. He could see goosebumps rising on her skin and pulled her tightly against him, burying his face in her hair. "Kagome- you know I want to."

"Yeah, I can tell," she said dryly. He snorted.

"Yeah. But- I mean, say the word again and I'm there. It's just- you want your first time to be in some freezin' cold cave? When we're both practically too sore to even move?" She crinkled her brow a little, looking up at him searchingly with her deep chocolate eyes. "And- um- just so you know, I've never- done it either." He said the last in a rush, ears flat against his head. She laughed before she could stop herself, and clapped a hand over her mouth as he wrenched away, face red.

"Inuyasha, it's okay! I'm sorry, I just really was not expecting to hear that at all." He rolled his eyes, hands creeping towards her chest. She looked so enticing even if she was filthy, eyes sparkling, hair mussed and falling wildly around her face, lips swollen from his kisses. "You really- you've never- I mean, you're what, 200?"

He blinked. "Somethin' like that. But I mean, some of that was tree sleepy time shit. And no, I never have, I thought we'd established that, so shut up about it." His face was scowling but his active and enthusiastic hands were telling an entirely contrary story.

"Don't be grumpy. I think- I think maybe you're right." Kagome was a little hesitant, afraid to disappoint him. "It might be better for both of us, once we get back home." _After all, this wasn't really how I imagined it- I was just so upset, and he's so... well, crud, he's just plain hot and he scrambles my brains a little... _She avoided Inuyasha's eyes, cheeks pinking a little, so he reached down and zipped up her pants, having finally figured out how the blasted things worked after many visits to her world. He put a hand under her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"It's fine! It's okay! But next time you go and get me so worked up you better not go and do this again," he half-teased her. She smiled up at him as he gallantly handed her that incredibly sexy piece of red stuff.

They got dressed again slowly, sharing long kisses as they did, and Inuyasha carried her back, though it took a while until he could walk comfortably. He laid her down in her sleeping bag, but as he turned to take up his customary place against the wall, she grabbed his arm. "Sleep with me?" she whispered and was met with a happy, fanged grin as he settled down beside her, carefully avoiding her wounded leg.

The hanyou felt better than he had in days as Kagome dozed off in his arms. "Thanks," he murmured into her hair, golden eyes closing contentedly.

* * *

Author says: So, I finally started to read the manga... I know, I know, how can I write this without having done anything other than see the anime? Well, uh... I'm lax like that. I actually only recently started to get into anime at all. So we'll see, but so far I like it. :) More chapters soon! Let me know what you think!


	28. Chapter 28

Author says: First things first, thank you SO MUCH to everyone who has reviewed, and a special shout out to Surfy, who is brim full of great advice and sheer awesome. :) I took your advice Surfy whilst doing one final edit of this and it was very helpful! Also: I realize Inuyasha is just hanging onto the Jewel doing nothing with it... I haven't really decided how to handle that yet, so I've been ignoring it. Something will be done with it eventually though- for now he's just making up his mind and doing other stuff, saving wolves, you know... Here's another chapter and probably one more to follow soon today. Enjoy!

* * *

It was time to go. Outside, the wolves were burying their dead, leaving the carcasses of the dire wolves to return to the earth. This land where so many of their brethren had died would become sacred to them, a place of both tragedy and bittersweet victory. Kouga, Ayame, Kiku and Daichi, were nearby, and Inuyasha's group was a short distance away, their belongings on their backs, ready if not eager to begin the walk back to Kaede's village and their nearby hut.

No one was entirely sure how to say goodbye and thank-you. After everything they'd gone through together in the past few frantic days, a bond was there that would last for life. They all bore a scar of some type, whether from the dire wolves or simply from being under siege together. There was an awkward moment, full of scuffed feet and embarrassed glances, until Daichi finally stepped forward and extended his hand to Inuyasha. Ayame and Kiku began impulsively hugging everyone, tearing a little, while Kouga shook everyone's hands and clapped them on the backs, though he hugged Kagome. Inuyasha eyeballed his former rival, but didn't bother to say anything, surprisingly. There were a few tears on Kagome's part- she hoped that the wolves could recover from the vicious setbacks they'd suffered.

At last, after many thank-you's and promises of help whenever it was needed, there was nothing left to say, and they began walking, feeling the wintery sunlight soak into their weary bodies. Kagome was thinking about her family and how she suddenly wanted nothing more than to be with them all, eating dinner and arguing and laughing about nothing in particular. _I really miss them. I hope Gramps is doing okay..._

"I hope everything works out for them," said Sango softly, eyes troubled. Miroku looked at her compassionately and took her hand, squeezing gently. The near-extinction of the wolf tribes for no reason at all other than the cruelty of the dires reminded the slayer all too vividly of her destroyed village.

"Eh, they're tougher than they look, and they've got some damn good people in charge. They'll make out all right," said Inuyasha.

Hitching a ride on Kirara, Shippou snorted. "Since when are you nice to the wolves?"

"I think they earned it, you little punk- what the hell is she still doin' here? And that ugly little thing?" He pointed an indignant finger at Soten and Koryuu, currently hovering along cloudily. The pigtailed girl scowled at him.

"I'm coming with you, thanks very much."

Inuyasha's face was growing steadily redder. "Oh no you ain't, you little brat, we've already got one annoying kid to babysit, we don't need another!" Sango gave the hanyou an irritated glance, one hand gingerly laid against her bandaged ear.

"Let her come already! She's not hurting anything, you know Kaede watches Shippou most of the time anyways." Inuyasha gave a final menacing growl in the direction of the two young ones, then turned away huffily. Kagome tried to stifle a giggle and failed. _It's nice to be on the road again,_ she thought happily. Winter was well on its way by now, but the scenery was beautiful. Sparkling frost still coated the grass and the pebbles on the road looked like silver nuggets. The sky was clear and the breeze was crisp, lifting her hair around her face. She grimaced. _That reminds me- I haven't taken a bath in- oh, gods, I don't even want to add up the days._

"If anyone finds a stream, let me know," said Miroku plaintively, echoing her thoughts. "I reek like a wet d- uh, duck."

"I think we passed one about a day's walk up the road from here," his fiance told him.

"Great- a whole day walking, covered in dried demon blood and filth," he moaned, shaking his head.

"I just can't wait to get some proper sleep on a real floor!" said Kagome. There were emphatic nods all around, and the friendly bantering continued as they walked, relishing the chance to stretch their legs and be outdoors- not to mention their survival. A doe and her twin fawns were startled as they rounded a corner, bounding away with their white tails upraised in fright, and everyone laughed, although if it weren't for her fawns, the doe would probably have been dinner. Kagome was discussing her new bow with Sango when she noticed Inuyasha wasn't beside her. She looked around and spotted him far ahead, head bowed, and ran to catch up.

"Hey, what's up?" she asked. He made a face.

"Eh, it's just somethin' one of those dire wolves said to me."

"You had time to stop and hold a conversation?" she said incredulously. "Uh- well, what'd he say?"

"I asked why they'd come back here."

Kagome raised a brow. "And?"

"Complete crap. Said somethin' about a Jade Emperor, no rain and pissed off dragons."

She squinted thoughtfully, hiking up her yellow backpack before linking her arm through Inuyasha's. "I think I remember reading something about a Jade Emperor in my cultures class, but it was a while ago. He's pretty important in that land's mythology."

"What is he, a demon?"

"Well- of course if he is, I wouldn't have learned it in school, it was presented as just a myth there," Kagome laughed. "He could be, or just a human, I suppose. But from what I remember, in the myth he was pretty much the top dog. He was in charge of everything- including the four Dragon Lords. I think that the dragons were in charge of the weather, too, at least that's what the mythology of my time says. Does that help any?"

Inuyasha's face was intense. "Yeah, I guess. From what I heard, I'd guess that there's some trouble goin' on with the big guy and the dragons over there, and they stopped the rain as part of the fight. He said somethin' about the dragons there being angry, so it makes sense... Damn, that place must be weird!"

Kagome gave him a peck on the cheek. "Don't worry about it. The dire wolves that are left won't be bothering anyone for a while, if they dare to at all." He shrugged, putting it out of his mind, before bending to give her a proper kiss. She gave a full bodied shiver that wasn't merely from the cold as he nipped her lip gently with one fang.

Behind them, Shippou and Soten could be heard jeering and singing some childish rhyme about sitting in a tree. Kagome rolled her eyes as Inuyasha looked over his shoulder, slowing his steps until Miroku and Sango could catch up. "Ey, monk. You know anythin' about mainland demons?"

Miroku looked at him inquiringly. "A bit, I suppose. Just a general idea, but I know they're very, very different from our demons. Why?" Inuyasha explained what the dying dire wolf had imparted, and Sango's dark eyes widened.

"I've heard of these dragons! Remember Ryuukossei, that dragon your father pinned with one of his fangs?"

"Yeah, how could I forget..." muttered the hanyou, curling his lip at the memory.

"The type of dragon demons on the mainland are a distant cousin to the breed Ryuukossei was," Sango continued, ponytail swinging as she tapped her lip, trying to recall what she'd been taught in her slayer studies. "They're a bit more like snakes, I believe, about the same weight but longer. I think they actually have some control over the weather, too."

"Well, even Kagome knew that much. What about a Jade Emperor? You know anything about that?" inquired Inuyasha. When Sango shook her head helplessly, Miroku spoke up.

"He's a demon- but he's probably one of the oldest demons alive, he functions as more of a god than anything."

"A god?" blurted Kagome. "No way. Do you mean the humans worship him?"

"Yes, he's a religious figure from centuries back. That's why I know about him- I enjoy learning about and respect all religious, not only my own," the monk said piously. Inuyasha chortled as Sango shook her head wearily. "Anyway, he's really the strongest by a ridiculous margin of all the demons and spirits on the mainland." His brow was wrinkled. "You say he's at war with the dragons? That can't be good- and if there's no rain, a good portion of the demons over there will be coming here."

"Great, that's just what we need," snarled Inuyasha, rubbing his temples.

"We'll deal with it if it happens," said Kagome firmly.

Miroku looked at her, blue gaze cloudy. "This is really serious, Kagome. The demon populations here, now, are the lowest they've been in a long time- and even together, we've barely been handling them as it is."


	29. Chapter 29

"There it is! There it is!" Kagome screamed, breaking into a mad dash, not towards food, or a soft bed, or a shirtless Inuyasha- but towards the most beautiful sight she could ever remember seeing- the hot springs! They were steaming and wonderful and it seemed they were in luck, for no villagers of Kaede's nearby village were in sight, and that meant its gorgeous heated loveliness was all theirs!

Inuyasha easily passed her, eyes alight at the lovely sight, snatching up a shrieking Kagome as he went and dumping her, clothes and all, into the deliciously hot water before plunging in behind her. Sango, Miroku, and the young ones weren't far behind. Even Kirara leapt in with a happy roar, changing to her large form and sending up clouds of steam. Laughing crazily, Kagome pounced on top of Inuyasha, wrestling him underwater as he yelped comically. He came up, water streaming from his ears and hair, and gave a mock-ferocious growl as he dunked her right back. Miroku and Sango were having a splash battle, Miroku's tiny ponytail looking like a wet kitten tail and Sango's bandages getting soaked, but no one cared. They were euphoric, having found nothing more than inch-deep, bitterly cold streams the entire way home, and as the accumulated grime of nearly two weeks sloughed off, they felt reborn.

"Whoa," laughed Sango, pushing her bangs out of her face with one hand, her soaked sleeves flapping. She didn't notice, but the bandage covering her ear had fallen down around her neck from the weight of the water, and Kagome saw Miroku staring at the nub of her ear with a tragic look in his blue eyes, before he gently reached up and settled the linen back into place.

"This. Is. Absolute. BLISS!" said Kagome, leaning back luxuriously and staring up into the nearly leafless branches above them.

"What say we go eat and then come back a little later and take a real bath?" said Inuyasha in her ear, grinning mischievously. Miroku, eyes shut, nodded in response.

"Definitely. Kagome, can we have some of that soap stuff?" he said aloud. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and Kagome giggled, climbing out reluctantly, prodding her wounded leg tentatively as she gave Sango a hand. It was healing nicely, though she'd have a noticeable scar. _I'm going to have to remember to wear tights to school when I get back, otherwise people won't know what the hell to think! _They all trooped through the forest towards their hut, chattering and anticipating a fire and a safe place to rest their weary, blistered feet. As they rounded the corner, smelling the smoke of the nearby villagers' cooking fires, they all looked up- and stopped in one accord, jaws dropping. Kagome's hand covered her mouth as she stifled a gasp of horror.

Their cozy little hut, the scene of so many good memories and conversations, the place they'd come to consider home base during their many adventures, was nothing more than a pile of toothpicks. It was obviously freshly destroyed, as the newly exposed wood was still clean and pale. Kirara's pink eyes widened and she gave an instinctive snarl, while Shippou gave a cry and rushed to the wreckage, burrowing in among the broken boards.

"Shippou! Get out of there," said Kagome faintly, but he obeyed, tail limp and for once, completely un-puffy in shock. "I- what could have happened? Kaede would never have let the villagers do this- they wouldn't anyway- I don't understand!" she cried. Soten looked around in confusion, not having the same attachment to the place as the others had; her first instinct was to find out the cause. She looked at Koryuu, who nodded and took off, tiny wings blurring.

Sango buried her hand in Kirara's ruff, face dangerously stony. She was grinding her teeth without knowing it, and her other hand had crept onto her hiraikotsu. Inuyasha's ears were completely flat and his fists were clenched, while Kagome couldn't move a muscle. _Our home! It's- it's totally gone! _She felt tears welling up in her eyes and forced them down, mouth working.

Miroku had one hand pressed against his eyes, the rings of his staff jingling morosely. "My sutras... all of them!" he muttered.

A whirr of wings announced Koryuu's return. He conferred with his mistress for a moment, and Soten walked over to Inuyasha and prodded him in the leg. He glanced down at her and she actually took a step back at the rage burning in his golden eyes. "What?" he gritted out, furious beyond all reason at the loss of what he considered to be his. _I figured once the monk had built a house for him and Sango, Kagome and I could live here! Goddamnit, I am going to really make someone hurt for this. _"WHAT?" he roared when Soten didn't answer at first.

She gulped, armor rattling audibly. Growing up with the Thunder Clan had given her plenty of experience with the painful ways of irritable older men. "Um- Koryuu says he found the tracks of the demon that did this, he say's it's sleeping about a mile or two ahead in the forest."

Inuyasha's face lit up and he smiled slowly, fangs displayed prominently. "Really? Good. I can kill it quicker!" He was already turning to take off when Soten launched herself at him, clinging to his leg.

"Wait! Wait!" she yelled as he turned to look at her, frowning.

"What? Get off me, I got a demon to slice up!"

"It's just- Koryuu says it's a kind of demon he's never seen before. Like really, really weird!"

Kagome looked up at that, her paralyzed brain finally unfreezing. "Inuyasha- you don't think it's a mainland demon, do you?" The two exchanged glances as Soten slid dejectedly off his leg. Shippou came over to her, trying to conceal his red, teary face. The pigtailed girl looked at him, slightly taken aback, and awkwardly patted him on the head. Kagome crouched down, laying a reassuring hand on Soten's tiny arm.

"Thank you, you did very well," she said softly. The girl brightened immediately, giving her a big smile that showed her dainty fangs.

Miroku blew out a breath as he looked up, face pale. "The only thing we can do is go see." Sango was already atop Kirara and she gave him a hand up. "You two, stay here," the monk ordered firmly to the children. They nodded as Kagome swung onto Inuyasha's back and the group took off as one, heading like an arrow into the dusky trees.

Inuyasha's nostrils flared. "Up there!" He took a wild leap up into a tree, making Kagome gasp and hide her face against his back, clutching his firerat. "Calm down, I gotcha," he said distractedly, staring in complete and utter confusion at the large demon sending out grunts and moans in its sleep in a clearing up ahead. Kirara hovered beside him, growling uneasily.

Kagome broke the silence. "What is that?" she whispered, craning her neck around the hanyou's shoulder for a better view. The sprawled figure was shaped like a strangely gnarled, sickeningly bony dog, draped in ratty black fur, with nothing but a stump where the tail should have been. The head, turned towards the friends, was the face of an old man, complete with flowing white hair. The entire demon had a strangely insubstantial look, and wisps of something like smoke were rising from its body. It was like nothing they had ever seen before.

Sango squinted. "Look at the face," she whispered, for once feeling some fear at the sight of a demon she didn't know how to defeat. Everyone took a closer look and realized that perhaps the demon wasn't sleeping after all- it looked to be nearly dead, although there were no visible wounds. The old man's face was twisted in a rictus of pain, and his emaciated ribs were rising and falling much more rapidly than seemed normal for anything. Kagome concentrated, stretching out her priestess senses, but felt no anger or desire to hurt coming from the creature, just a terrible wave of exhaustion.

As they watched, confused, the opaque greenish mist streaming from the demon's body began to increase, twining up into the wavering shape of a large tree, branches spread and glorious. The demon was appearing to shrink, body withering even more, and suddenly its eyes opened. Everyone drew back, though it was obvious from the cloudy blue cataracts on its eyes that the demon could see nothing. The elderly face gave a great sigh and relaxed, eyes shutting again. Slowly the rising and falling of its ribs stopped. Kagome gasped as she felt its weary soul fade out from her perception.

Inuyasha looked at the others, face betraying his bewilderment. "I guess it's dead..."

"Look!" hissed Kagome, turning his head roughly back towards the body of the beast. It was slowly dissolving into the ground, a few last streams of smoky substance joining the shape of the tree- which, as the last of the body disappeared, drifted off in a stream through the air.

"Oh, by the gods," whispered Miroku as a thought struck him. "That was no demon- that was a spirit of some sort. That was a mainland spirit, and I know what kind, too."

"Well? Spill it!" Inuyasha said irritably.

"I remember reading something about it, a very long time ago, on an old scroll of legends from the mainland. A man was cutting down a very large tree and it began to bleed. When he cut it down, a dog with the face of a man emerged. That thing was the spirit of a tree, a penghou."

"So why was it here?" said Sango sharply. "Were we right? Are all the demons from the mainland being driven here?"

Inuyasha jumped down to the ground, holding Kagome's legs securely, and began plodding back to the ruined hut without a word. "You can let me down, you know," she said softly. He stopped.

"Oh. Sorry." She jumped down. "Kagome, I think we're gonna have to go to the mainland to figure this shit out, and real soon too." She didn't say a word, just looked up at him with soft brown eyes, and took his hand. _Wherever Inuyasha goes, I go. _


	30. Chapter 30

Author says: One more, since I have a ton of homework and things to do tomorrow and probably won't be on at all. Thank you for the reviews and views, everyone! Makes my day!

Oh and, uh, since I've been forgetting; Inuyasha, disappointingly, is not mine.

* * *

"Come on, let's go already," said Inuyasha bad-temperedly, crossing his arms. Kagome shot him an evil glare as she clambered aboard Kirara, who was washing one paw furiously with her pink tongue. Everyone was feeling the strain of taking off yet again on another journey, and Kagome in particular was really wishing she'd had more time to relax. Last night had been a flurry of preparation, washing their clothes, checking weapons, gathering what few supplies they could find in the wreckage of the hut. Sango and Miroku in particular were upset about having to postpone their wedding once again; she felt so badly for them.

"Everyone ready?" asked Sango, cocking her head slightly to hear the answers. Kagome frowned, hoping her friend's hearing hadn't been affected. Shippou and Soten had been sent off over to Kaede's village, notwithstanding their shrill protests. They knew nothing about the mainland, and it was going to be a very long trip, too long for the young ones. Kagome kind of missed Shippou's warm weight on her back, though. _I wish I'd had time to check in at home... School is going to be awful after all this time away. Maybe I should just do like Mom advised and drop out to get my GED..._ She could feel a headache beginning, and her wounded thigh was twinging angrily, reacting to the low temperatures.

They set off at a quick pace, too fast for all day, but they wanted to leave behind the ruins of their hut as quickly as possible, not to mention the site of the strange penghou spirit's sad ending. Every one was off in their own separate worlds, it seemed. Miroku was fiddling with his earring, staring off into space. Inuyasha was slightly ahead of the others, head bowed and ears still, the sacred jewel cold against his chest. Sango's fingers were buried in Kirara's fur as she tried not to think about all the memories these new events had dredged up; Kohaku's death, her village's destruction. Kagome was pondering her life back in the modern day. _Am I always going to be coming and going between two worlds, for the rest of my life? _The day wore on, the chilliest yet.

Suddenly Inuyasha froze, holding up a hand. "Shit! It's Sesshoumaru," he said over his shoulder, eyes narrowing. Kagome put a hand to her cheek. "Come on out already," he barked into the woods around them.

The dog demon's tall form appeared from between two trees, his face as stony as ever. Kagome fought back a smug grin- _I've seen that mask crack. He thinks he's so tough but I know better now, Rin may be a human but he sure cares about her! I knew it._ "Brother," he said brusquely, not looking at Inuyasha, who was growling steadily. "I assume you are going to the mainland to discover the source of the new demon influx?"

"Yeah, what of it?" snarled Inuyasha belligerently.

"I heard rumors of the dire wolves, and I have lately run across some very strange demons in the area. I require whatever information you have about this problem."

"Ha! As if we'd tell you anything-" Inuyasha began, only to be cut off by Miroku's much calmer voice.

"Apparently, the Jade Emperor and the dragons aren't getting along. The dragons have stopped creating rain, forcing all the lesser spirits and demons to emigrate. I'm sure some have gone other places, but many are coming here." Inuyasha's jaw was hanging open.

"You traitor!" he spluttered.

Sesshoumaru's amber eyes were serious. "In return, I'll tell you that the Jade Emperor is indeed a demon, not a man or a god, and he is the most powerful demon I have ever met. The dragons are one hundred times weaker, but even one would be more than a match for my half-blood brother here. The Emperor resides by the western coast of that land, while the lords of the dragons live mostly in the northeast, in the mountains, and always by a source of fresh water." He turned to go, fading into the trees as if he were a spirit himself.

"He- met the Jade Emperor?" said Kagome faintly. Inuyasha was still gasping like a fish out of water, heading towards Miroku with murder in his eyes. She shook her head as Kirara switched her tails irritably. "Sit, boy." The hanyou managed one quick yelp as he landed with a _whump_.

Kagome slid off Kirara's silky back and crouched beside Inuyasha. "Sorry, Inuyasha. But, I mean, he did the right thing, and now we've got some new information- we know where to go to figure out what on earth's going on." Inuyasha sat up, rubbing his face. Kirara had slit her rosy eyes at him in a rather mocking, amused way and he shot her a glare, lifting his lip slightly.

"Whatever, wench. You're all worthless traitors!" He shook one fist in rage. Kagome rolled her eyes, grabbed his face, and kissed him firmly, tongues tangling hotly. Miroku and Sango politely averted their glances, the monk smirking. When she came up for air, he was still trying to keep a furious expression, but his flickering ears betrayed him. She was giggling as she jumped back aboard Kirara, watching him shake his head.

"Come on, let's get going. We have a long way to go." Sango looked over her shoulder at Kagome as they began walking again through the light sprinkling that had begun, pulling the hood of her jacket up, mouth tightening as she brushed her wounded ear.

"Nice work, Kagome, you've got him trained," she grinned. From up ahead came Inuyasha's voice.

"I _heard_ that!"

* * *

"How long do you think it'll take to get there? How _are_ we going to get there, anyway?" asked Kagome, snuggling up in Inuyasha's arms. She tilted her head back to look at the stars, so much clearer and brighter than in her own time, and began idly picking out constellations.

"Dunno and dunno. I guess we'll figure it out when we get there... Hey, Miroku, you think your raccoon buddy could take us across the ocean?"

The monk shrugged, gnawing a bit rabidly on a juicy hunk of venison. "Maybe, as long as we don't hit any storms."

They'd traveled much later into the night than they normally did, coming across no fewer than three villages that reported being plagued with terrifying demons that didn't behave or look like demons should. The fast pace and long day had left their mark; even Inuyasha was yawning. A warm fire was absolutely delightful- despite the fact that they'd declined to stay the night in one of the villages. As Sango had put it, "They've got enough to deal with, and trouble seems to follow us." The villagers had been highly suspicious of Inuyasha and Kirara, anyway.

Kagome could feel her eyelids getting heavier and heavier, and her stomach full of the deer Inuyasha had bagged wasn't helping her alertness. "Are we gonna keep watch?" she murmured, nuzzling into his neck.

"We'd better, with all the demons being disturbed," said Sango sleepily, leaning against Miroku's shoulder. "I can probably make it to midnight, but by then I'll be out."

"I'll take second watch," volunteered Inuyasha. "If I gotta get up early, though, I'm tucking in now." He picked up Kagome, ignoring her tiny shriek, and dumped her on her sleeping bag. "Get in. I'm starting to like that thing you sleep in, it's nice and soft." _Typical dog, _she thought indignantly. _Always wants to be up on the furniture!_

She snorted. "Yeah, and it's too small for us both." Inuyasha ignored her protests and slid inside, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. She surrendered with a sigh, giving him a peck on the lips before drifting off almost instantly. He growled faintly, running a possessive hand slowly over the curve of her hip, but as her peaceful breaths reached his ears he took a deep breath, sublimating his lustful thoughts. If he was tired gods only knew how exhausted she was. He took firm control of hands that wanted very badly to rove unchecked and tucked her body next to his, burying his face in here hair with a fanged smile as he guarded her.

By the fire, Sango was looking at Miroku. "Aren't you going to bed too?" she asked with a fond smile. He traced a finger down her cheek.

"I'll stay up with you, for a while anyway."

"Good," she said, smiling at him.

"How's your ear?" he asked, scrunching down and putting his head in her lap. She ran her fingers through his hair.

"It's okay, I suppose. I haven't really had a chance to look at it... it's probably hideous."

Miroku's eyes were shut and his breathing had slowed. "Nothing about you could ever be hideous, my flower," he mumbled gallantly. Sango's mouth quirked as he fell asleep like a rock.


	31. Chapter 31

Author says: Urk, here, read this mildly dirty adult-ish stuff and I'm going to look around like I don't know the depraved person who wrote it. Enjoy!

* * *

"Gods, where is he?" said Miroku in frustration, hair standing up wildly from running his fingers through it. He shut his eyes again and folded his hands, breathing deep. "Hachi! I need you!... Ugh, I don't know if I got through. We'll have to wait here a day or so until he gets here."

"If he gets here, you mean," muttered Sango.

Kagome made a face, wriggling her frozen toes inside her sneakers. "I hate winter! And the coast is ten times worse. Let's at least go back into the trees a bit, maybe find a windbreak." Everyone nodded in agreement, trying to ignore the icy wind cutting into their bones, and began tromping through the sand. Inuyasha came up beside Kagome, and she took his hand as they walked. _At least he looks happy, _she thought a bit grumpily. _I'll put up with crazy demons and being kidnapped and huge battles, but constant cold crosses the line!_

Inuyasha seemed to sense that she was less than thrilled with the prospect of a long journey in midwinter. He looked down at her struggling through the heavy sand with her usual determination and found himself smiling broadly. She glanced up at him and wrinkled her nose comically.

It took a bit of hunting to find a place in the sparse trees where the wind wasn't as harsh, but finally they spotted a long, if rather short, rock outcropping that could be made easily into a lean-to of sorts. "Yes!" crowed Kagome, pumping her fist in the air as she danced around, kicking up flurries of sand. "This means a fire! I'll go get wood!" She was off like a shot, practically blurring. By the time she staggered back with a massive armload of fairly dry driftwood, Inuyasha had nearly finished with a rough roof- they'd need something at least. One look at the ominously dark sky and it was obvious that some heavy rain was on the way.

The hanyou stepped back from the branches he'd hastily woven together to provide a base. "Hey, you, woman, dump that wood and come hunt for big leaves with me," he called. She rolled her eyes and let the wood tumble out of her arms, heading towards him.

"There better be a roaring fire when I come back!" she yelled over her shoulder. "Where are we gonna find big leaves?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "I dunno, we'll just look around a while. Big leaves, branches, whatever. Get on." She tried to shake some of the clinging sand from her shoes, then gave up and swung a leg over Inuyasha, who tucked his hands under her thighs with relish and took off at what was for him an easy jog, though Kagome would have to have been running flat out to even keep him in sight. His ears were perked up happily as they went. _He's always happiest when we're off searching for something, _she thought a bit sadly. _I wonder if he'll be bored just hanging out with me all the time when this drama dies down? _

"Aha! There!" said Inuyasha triumphantly. "A few boughs of that'll do." Kagome slid down, landing with a thump and skidding on the pebbly ground. He caught her deftly with one hand and they stood there, face to face for a moment, before he kissed her thoroughly, making her knees even weaker. "I love that I can do that now," he said with satisfaction, smirking as she began to blush, before decimating the bush in front of them. Kagome laughed and went up behind him, sliding her arms around him and laying her head on his back.

She tucked her hands into the warmth of his neck under his thick hair, giggling as he jumped and swore. "You feel like a damn ice demon," he whined.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! It's just cold," she said plaintively, giving him her best puppy eyes and suppressing another laugh as he turned to face her, casting aside the branches he'd readied for their camp. He eyed her for a second, then an absolutely diabolic grin spread across his face, a wicked sparkle lighting in his eyes. Kagome blinked; she felt suddenly rather wrong footed.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

He shrugged deliberately, though he couldn't stop himself from looking her up and down."I dunno. I was just thinking it would be pretty easy to warm you up."

She frowned, hands now tucked in her armpits. "Huh? What, you breathe fire now, dog boy?"

"Ha, no, but I could still warm you up right quick."

"Whatever you have up your sleeve then I wish you'd get on with it because it's damn cold out here!"

He snorted, raising a disbelieving brow at her head, currently cocked to the side in confusion.. "It's not what's in my sleeve, it's what's in my pants, woman." She crinkled her brow, at a loss. _I'm a walking icicle, it's all I can think about, and there's no fire yet. What the heck is he yammering on about? All I want is warm!_

He started shaking, suppressing a cackle, but at her continued look of doe-eyed innocence he couldn't contain it anymore and began roaring with laughter. "Considering how you jumped me in that cave not a week ago I would think you'd know when I'm hittin' on you," he choked out.

"Oh! You- I wasn't- you may have a dirty mind but I don't think like that constantly!" she said crossly, feeling a hot blush rise up her face. _Oh lord, how on earth did I not get that? _He was practically convulsing in mirth as she regarded him with narrowed eyes. _He wants to play dirty, then fine, I'll bring out the big guns, we'll see who's laughing then! I gotta try out Mom's book at some point, anyway. _She stepped up to him, cutting him off mid-howl with a hand in his hair, pulling his startled face down to her own. "I guess I lied just now," she said softly, biting her lip a little. "I do think dirty like that, sometimes..." His eyes widened and she smiled devilishly, stepping closer and sliding her arms around his neck. "Actually," she continued, cold completely forgotten as she stretched up to nibble on his neck, "I'm thinking like that _right now_."

She didn't get any farther than that before he was kissing her, so hard it took her breath away. He rumbled low in the back of his throat as she pressed her body up against his, hands tangling in his hair as he drove her to a moan that weakened his knees. He pulled away from the kiss, breathing hotly, and dipped to ravage her neck, relishing the sounds he drew from her with every nip and lick on the sensitive skin. She had her head thrown back, panting, and he could smell how turned on she was. When he boldly dipped his hand into her jeans he thought he might cry from sheer joy; she was so wet and hot and suddenly he realized he couldn't even think, so he concentrated on the soft noises coming from her as his hand began to explore.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," she chanted in tiny breaths as she rocked against him, so soft and slurred that he was glad he had demonic hearing. The fact that she, pure little Kagome, was cursing only turned him on more. She came back to the world for a moment, only to launch a fresh attack, sliding a hand down against his tented pants with a wild look in her eyes.

"Off," she muttered, and when he didn't comply instantly, too lost in her body and scent and claiming new territory as his and his alone, she gave a distinctly threatening growl and said again, impatiently, "Take them off! Now!"

They broke apart for just a second and the moment his scarlet pants fell she dropped to her knees before him. He was confused, opened his mouth to ask what she was doing, but the moment she wrapped her soft lips around his cock he decided that it really didn't matter. A moment after that, he was entirely lost to rational thought, only able to clench his fists in ecstasy as Kagome licked her way farther down around him, applying such delicious suction that he, the veteran of a thousand battles and survivor of countless gory wounds, thought he might actually pass out then and there.

As she worked him over, pulling out all the tips and tricks from her little pink book, Kagome looked up at him. She was simply checking to see if he liked what she was doing, but as she met golden eyes lidded and darkened with lust she felt another wave of passion sweep over her. Her cheeks were reddened, her dark hair wildly tousled, and the look of devotion in her eyes as she met his while driving him sinfully mad with tongue and hands sent him over the edge. He didn't make a sound, attempting to warn her too late as he came into her mouth, but she bravely swallowed, though she couldn't keep her eyes from watering a little.

"Shit," the hanyou groaned, rubbing a hand over his face as the girl at his feet rocked back on her heels, staring up at him through her bangs. "Shit. Holy shit."

"Eloquent," she commented, giving him a sly grin. He rolled his eyes, panting a little as he pulled up his pants. She took the hand he extended to her and stood up, brushing sand off her jeans. They looked at each other for a moment; Kagome was entirely pleased with her handiwork, seeing his flushed face and still rapid breathing, whilst he was trying his very best not to get hard again at the sight of her swollen lips.

"Seriously though," he said, ears ruffled at completely opposite angles and eyebrows askew. "Holy shit. That was- that was-" She was the one who cracked up this time from a mix of adrenaline, lust and cold.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. I've never done that before, I didn't know if I did it right," she admitted laughingly. "Can't tease me about not having a dirty mind, though, can ya? I win!"

Inuyasha pulled her to him. _She really doesn't care what I am, not at all... I'm so lucky._ "No, whatever that was you did it right! Believe me!" She snuggled closer to him, and they stood there for a while, wrapped up in each other against the chill wind and pondering what had just happened. Kagome was a little shocked by just how much she'd enjoyed it- she'd felt dirty, but in a good way. _A very, very good way._ Finally she loosened her hold on Inuyasha, bending to pick up one of the branches. "We'd better get back." He slapped her lightly on the bottom as he passed her and she squealed in mock protest.

He smiled roguishly at her and she was struck again by how handsome he was with his silvery hair lifted by the wind, amber eyes shadowed by dark winged brows. _He doesn't even know it. _"Get on, I'll grab the rest. Did I ever mention how much I always liked it when I got to carry you around?"

When they got back to Miroku and Sango, looking like some strange leafy monster from all the boughs they were carrying, rain had started and Sango was being forced to hold her hiraikotsu over the fire. She spotted the returning duo first, with utter relief. "Miroku! They're back!"

"Good. About time, too, if we're gonna have anything over our heads come nightfall," the monk said good naturedly, walking out to meet them and relieve them of some of their burden. "Let's get this roof built!"

Inuyasha was quiet while they wove the branches together, Miroku noticed, but no more so than usual. "I imagine Hachi'll be here in a day or two, depending on where he is," Miroku told him, hoping to cheer him up a little. He was perplexed when Inuyasha turned a beaming smile on him and shrugged.

"No hurry..."


	32. Chapter 32

Author says: Thank you sooo much for all the reviews, guys! :D

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"Oh, gods," Kagome whimpered, alternating between covering her eyes with her hands and grabbing Inuyasha around the waist so tight he could barely breathe. She had made the huge mistake of looking down into the wild, murky water below her. Inuyasha was making a clumsy attempt at patting her hand reassuringly, though it didn't seem to be helping; she'd ridden on Haichi the raccoondog in his blown-up yellow form before, but always over land. Strangely enough, the water was worse.

"You know that water's gotta be softer than trees if you fall off, right?" Inuyasha mused out loud, getting a solid slap to the back of his head in answer. She immediately returned to her death grip on him after, though. Her inky hair mixed with his pale mane, whipping madly around them, and he peered down, marveling at the water. He thought he saw the shadow of something huge under the surface, but they were past too quickly to tell.

That morning Haichi had finally arrived, servile and apologetic as usual, and they were finally headed to the mainland, though the raccoondog hadn't been at all thrilled about making the trip. All they could see now was water, and though Haichi was doing his very best to fly steadily, he was being rolled slightly by the wild winds above the sea. A storm was brewing, and everyone was holding on with white knuckles and wishing that maybe they'd delayed a bit before taking off.

Sango leaned forward to shout in Miroku's ear, Kirara tight in her arms. "I wonder what the mainland's going to be like?"

"What?" he roared back. Sango repeated herself.

"Oh! A lot different, and probably very dry." Conversation lagged to a halt after this, as everyone's throat was getting sore.

After what felt like forever, Kagome cracked one eye. _It looks like we're past the worst of the storm... what's that? _She squinted at what looked like the faintest sliver of clouds on the dull grey horizon. "Hey, Inuyasha," she said loudly.

He turned to look at her over his shoulder. "Hey, you're alive. What's up?"

"Very funny... Is that land? No, over there." Inuyasha stared intently off in the direction she was pointing, and finally nodded.

"Yeah, I think so! Hey, Miroku! Look!"

"Oh, thank the gods," said Sango in gratitude. "My face feels like it's falling off from all the wind!"

"I'm kind of nervous..." said Kagome, so quietly that no one but Inuyasha heard her. She knew very little about the history of these areas- just the basics of politics and culture from her time, and certainly nothing in-depth about mythology or arcane traditions that could help them. She was staring at the blurry line of land, feeling tears from the wind stream out the corners of her eyes as she forced them open wide. As they drew closer, horribly slowly, the contours of the mainland became clearer, and as Haichi began to circle down, Kagome could see that it looked much the same as the coast they'd left hours ago. The trees looked similar, and all the rocks and sand and dirt as well, though as she slid off Haichi's smooth lemon side, it felt unfamiliar and foreign beneath her feet. She laid a hand on her bow. _I wonder if my purification powers will even work over here? Or Miroku's?_

Everyone skidded off, and Haichi transformed back into his hunched, furry raccoon form with a relieved sigh and a whiff of ozone. He promptly fell over onto his back in the sand, ignoring the sleet pounding his face, and said in a faint voice, "I think I'll just rest here a while, master, before I go back."

Miroku's eyebrows shot up. "You're not staying? How will we get back?"

Haichi gave an apologetic grin. "I'll hear your call if you give it. But I really don't fancy hiding here in this odd place while you go around adventuring for months and months... if that's okay with you, that is, of course." Miroku waved a hand, and the demon flopped back down again, obviously exhausted. Kagome knelt next to the prone raccoon and handed him a little packet.

"It's food from my time, I'm sure you'll love it, everyone does!" she beamed at him. "As thanks!" _Miroku can be so ungrateful, poor Haichi looks just exhausted._

Inuyasha was surveying their surroundings, more than half curious as to what this place would be like. It was much like his island, but there were a few small trees here and there that he didn't recognize, and the terrain had a different feel, more hilly and deeply creased, like a piece of crumpled parchment, whereas his island had many flatter, open valleys between the steep mountains. Kagome was staring up into the rain with a perplexed look on her face, and he elbowed her. "If you open your mouth like that, you'll drown."

She shook her head, raindrops sticking to the end of her lashes. "I thought the dragons were supposed to have stopped the rain?"

"Hey, you're right," said Sango, holding her hiraikotsu over her head as she came over. "Although this is coming from the storm off the ocean, and I don't imagine the dragons reign there. Maybe it stops a ways inland?"

"In that case, we'd better make camp in the wet strip," said Inuyasha grimly, his ears tilted down in a futile attempt to stop water from running into them. "I imagine they've dried it out most where all the action is, and I don't imagine anything'll come wanting rain for drinkin'; this is salty." Kagome stuck out her tongue and licked water from her lips, tasting the bitter salt and grimacing.

"Bleagh!"

With a jingle, Miroku pointed with his staff towards a thick mass of trees, a little ways inland and about a mile up the coast. "Let's try there. Hopefully most of the rain won't be able to get through. Gods, I feel like I'm swimming. A bit of dryness might be nice after all this."

They started walking, feeling the rain let up slightly, and now noticing the hard earth and drooping plants. Apparently even near the ocean territory, the dragons' enforced drought had had its effects. Kirara had been let down to walk by Sango, but she was treading as if on cacti, and her rich, creamy fur had lost some of its normal luster. She moved over to Kagome and looked up at her, giving a sharp mew. "Yeah, I feel it too," Kagome muttered, trying to ignore the faint, rolling nausea in her stomach and the weakness of her knees.

Inuyasha looked at her sharply, golden eyes reflecting deep amber in the dusky light. "Any of you guys feelin' kinda funny?" he asked. Miroku and Sango exchanged glances and shook their heads no, looking puzzled. Kagome held up a hand, laughing a little.

"Yeah, me and Kirara. You too?" Inuyasha nodded, and she frowned. "That's weird. You and Kirara are demons, but I'm not, why am I feeling this?"

"Maybe it's because you've got an unusual bond with the land, much more than Sango or even I," said Miroku unexpectedly, tugging on one earring as he thought. The rings of his staff chimed gently. "I believe priestesses like yourself draw much of your power internally, but some is supplied by the land around you. Your powers should work here, but on a lesser level, I would imagine."

"Great! That's great," grumbled Kagome. "So we're in a strange land, with half the firepower we've normally got, right in the middle of a war between two insanely powerful groups we know nothing about. Greeeeat."

"You're so cheerful," Inuyasha told her mockingly. "Like a little ray of sunshine!" She showed him all her teeth as they finally reached the thicket of tall trees, which, though showing winter nakedness, looked thick enough to provide decent shelter. The hanyou gave a surprised laugh, one ear flipping upright as he shook wildly, spattering everyone with water. "You talk like a dog demon now, Kagome."

She was already beginning to scrape together dry branches for a fire- at least, not sopping wet branches. "What do you mean, I talk like a dog demon?"

"You show teeth, you show throat. I've even heard you growl once or twice," he choked out, laughing uncontrollably by now. _I don't see what's so funny,_ thought Kagome. She nearly fell over as she realized she was indeed growling at him.

"Shut up," she said fiercely, attacking the fire with undue ferocity. _Stupid dog demon's wearing off on me, next thing I'll be insulting everyone we come across, trying to kill Souta and jumping into impossible battles by myself. _Inuyasha was still chortling as he began digging through her pack for food, and the china-pale eye of the moon could be seen coming up faintly on the horizon of this new world.


	33. Chapter 33

Author says: Voila! Uh, sorry my chapters are so short, guys, no idea what's up with that, though laziness is a distinct possibility. Also: I am a huge horse nerd, I have a horse (she's a terrible hormonal beastie) so, yanno, had to throw one in here. I couldn't help myself. Enjoy! :D

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Inuyasha woke up slowly, feeling the comfortable heat of Kagome's body pressed against him. He stretched, giving a cavernous but silent yawn, and wriggled away from her carefully. She gave an odd squawking sound and rolled over, still asleep. Kneeling down to stoke the embers of the fire, Inuyasha took a moment to look at her, marveling at how thick her lashes looked against her pale cheek. She opened one eye blearily, feeling his stare, and sat up with another unintelligible noise. Inuyasha let out a startled laugh.

"Ha! Kagome, look at your hair!"

She put one hand slowly up to her head and gasped, fully awake now. "My hair! It's like a bird's nest from that damned wind!" Inuysha's lips were twitching suspiciously, and she shot him a dirty look, grabbing her jacket from her backpack and pulling it on as she moved closer to the fire. "Look at yours, it's longer than mine! It's gotta be tangled!"

The hanyou stopped laughing and gingerly felt through his silvery hair, brows furrowing. "Ow!" he muttered as he hit a particularly vicious snarl. Kagome was the one trying to hold back laughter now as she rooted through her backpack again, pulling out a grape-green brush. Inuyasha eyed it warily. "What the hell is that, you skin a hedgehog?"

"Right, here you all use combs or fingers..." Kagome snickered, feeling victorious as she began wrestling with her wild hair. "This is called a brush, it hurts much less and works much better." She cursed as a high wind sliced through the camp, pulling newly untangled hair from her hands. "Why do I even wear this down anymore?" she despaired.

"Cuz it's easier to grab," Inuyasha said lewdly, waggling his eyebrows at her.

She scoffed and stuck her tongue out at him. "You want me to do yours?"

Inuyasha checked out the brush warily one last time, sighing. "Fine. But no pulling. And watch the ears!" She snorted as he came over and perched on a rock in front of her.

"You know I will. Now hold still." She began parting his heavy, gleaming hair into sections and attacking them with the brush, wielding it like a weapon of war. Inuyasha relaxed as his ears remained intact, eyelids drooping. By the time Kagome had managed to get his hair completely untangled, Sango and Miroku were waking up slowly, though Kirara remained determinedly asleep until a twitch of the slayer's foot flung her off.

Kagome packed away her brush and rolled up her sleeping bag, sparingly using some of the water from her plastic jug to brush her teeth. She didn't feel like breakfast today, though she knew she'd probably regret it later. Miroku came over to the fire, never an early riser and with monstrous bags under his eyes to announce it, while Sango was neatly packing up their blankets.

"So where are we going today?" she called cheerfully. Miroku shook his head, looking haggard beyond belief.

"Disgusting," he murmured.

Inuyasha shrugged. "I dunno. I think we should head inland and see just what exactly's up. Maybe hunt ourselves a demon or somethin' and get some more information. If there's nothin' to be found, than I guess we gotta go dragon huntin'. " They lingered by the comforting warmth of the fire for a while longer, before kicking dirt over it and beginning to walk. _I wish I had my bike,_ though Kagome wistfully. She loved going down hills at top speed, and this land was definitely equally, if not more hilly, than their island, though with fewer actual mountains. Low fog circled many of the cliffs nearest to the ocean, hiding the base and showing only the tops, floating like castles in midair.

The view changed quickly. As they walked, everything became browner. Plants were shriveled and dead, there was no more rain, and the ground was hard and cracked. It was still cold, but much less so than before; the numbing, killer chill was gone. _This looks like it must have been so beautiful and lush,_ thought Kagome, spotting a lichen-encrusted statue of a cheerful, fat little man nestled under a dying tree. She hadn't seen an animal since they arrived.

The day drew on to evening and the land grew dryer. They were making good time, on occasion relying on Inuyasha and Kirara for rides, but hadn't seen a sign of life yet. The cold air was breathless and still (for the moment, at least) and full of dust from the dead earth, and Kagome had the odd sensation of being in midsummer and midwinter at the same time. Then Inuyasha's nostrils flared and his ears twitched. "I smell cookin' fires and cattle," he said in satisfaction. "People!"

The village was tiny and in a shocking state of disrepair. As they entered it, few of the inhabitants bothered to look up. Many buckets and barrels had been set out to catch rain. All of them were bone dry, and the few cattle they saw were dull-eyed skeletons, parched tongues hanging from their mouths. Kagome had to look away, tearing up, wishing with all her heart she could carry waterfalls.

Inuyasha approached an older woman who was carrying an armload of kindling. "Let me help you," he said with surprising kindness. She stared at him in incomprehension, jerking away suspiciously as he tried to take her load, eyes opening wide as she noticed his ears. She stumbled away, nearly dropping her load, croaking something.

"Dammit!" he cursed as she scurried off. "None of these people speak our language!"

A weak, raspy voice came from behind him- speaking, thankfully, a familiar tongue. "I think I can help you with that."

Kagome whirled around, seeing a man lying in the doorway of his hut. He was just out of his youth, probably about thirty, and looked to have been coping with the drought slightly better than the rest of the people they'd seen. His skin was as deeply browned as a walnut, contrasting with the strange, slanted sky-blue eyes set over wide cheekbones, and his shoulders were still broadly built despite his obvious weakness. A scruffy beard covered most of his jaw and rough black hair fell to his shoulders.

He licked his lips with a dry tongue and tried again. "I'm Huojin. You must be mainlanders." He was eyeing their packs with terrifying intensity, as if he could sense the water they carried. "You give some water, I'll talk for you." His accent was strange, lilting and slightly slurred, but easily understandable.

Inuyasha looked at him narrowly for a moment, then turned to the others. "Someone gimme some water."

Sango frowned. "Inuyasha, in a few days we'll be out of water for ourselves! This place is going through a drought like I've never seen."

"We'll deal with that when it happens- what are the odds of findin' some guy who speaks our language?" he asked. "Besides, he smells honest." Kagome sighed and pulled out her water bottle- she'd be brushing her teeth with no water from now on. _Nasty!_

Inuyasha kept the bottle close to his body as he handed it to Huojin, not wanting to start a riot. The man unscrewed the top after a moment of staring it, but didn't drink. Instead, he began heaving himself to his feet. "What's this made of?" he asked curiously.

"Um- it's called plastic," said Kagome faintly.

"Huh. Odd." Huojin began to make his way painfully around the side of his hut, leaning on it for support as he went, though to Kagome's eyes it looked about ready to fall down itself.

"Where's he goin'?" asked Inuyasha in bewilderment. Kagome shrugged and followed, not about to lose the guy and have wasted her water. She rounded the corner of the hut and stopped, eyebrows rising. Huojin was collapsed against the side of an old water trough, murmuring something in a soft voice as he emptied the last of the water bottle into it. Beside him stood a very thin and incredibly dirty mare, plunging her muzzle into the trough greedily. He stroked her head, looking up, and they saw his eyes were wet.

"She won't leave," he said quietly. "I can't feed her or give her water anymore but she won't leave." Sango's hand flew to her mouth.

Kagome found her own eyes were welling over as she went over and pulled Huojin's arm over her shoulders, the mare watching apprehensively with large eyes as she sucked up the last of the water. "Come on. We'll help you."

Inuyasha was biting his lip, struggling with his feelings and his common sense. "Kagome- what are we-"

She cut him off as Huojin finally managed to stand up again with her help, swaying dangerously. "He can be our translator. You know we'll need one again, I can't believe we didn't think of this, really. Besides, look at the horse." Her brown eyes were pleading with the hanyou, and finally he gave in with a groan. He wouldn't have left the two anyway.

Huojin was plainly confused. His strange, vivid blue eyes darted around. "You'll feed us? And give us water? Both of us?" he said. "She's a horse. She drinks a lot, you know."

"We know that!" said Inuyasha indignantly. "But we've got just enough for you now, and I'm better at finding water than most people." He paused, realizing that though the woman he'd stopped earlier had been eyeing his ears in fear, Huojin hadn't seemed to notice them. He hadn't been afraid of Kirara, either. "Before you agree to come with us, I'm a half-demon, and the cat's a full demon," he said bluntly, watching for a reaction.

The man just shrugged. "Yeah, I noticed that. Doesn't bother me. I've got a theory that Changchang here might have a little bit of spirit back in her bloodlines somewheres," he told them, patting the mare on her bony side. She snorted and flared her nostrils as Kirara bounded up to her, blowing great whuffs of air into the nekomata's face.

"Right... well, let's go then before one of these poor people attacks and eats us," said Inuyasha grimly. Kirara made a soft noise, transforming with a rush of air into her larger form. Changchang sidled sideways, throwing her head uneasily, but didn't bolt. "Guess you're riding the big cat outta here."

Kagome gave him a hand up onto Kirara's back, where he collapsed, obviously overcome. She looked at the sack of bones he called Changchang. "Uh, does she have a rope or something?"

He waved a hand in the air tiredly, obviously exhausted already. "She'll come, don't worry. If she starts to wander off just give a whistle, but she won't go far." Kirara began walking and everyone scrambled to follow. Inuyasha turned to watch the mare, who was a short distance behind, head hanging and every step obviously an effort, though she showed no signs of falling behind.

"We'll make camp soon," he called back to her on impulse, and she blew through her nose loudly and picked up her pace.


	34. Chapter 34

Author says: Well... couldn't recover anything I already had written after my computer died, super frustrating, but after rocking in the fetal position for a day I got back on the horse and rewrote this. Also after I posted this I realized I basically rewrote a scene I had already posted, but I liked this version better so I deleted the old one, so, uh, this should now be back to making sense. You may have to re-read this and the previous chapter, since those are the ones I messed up. It's been a long few days. Sorry. Enjoy!

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The night was long and blessedly uneventful, but Kagome couldn't sleep. They had been traveling towards the mountains for several days now, but despite her physical weariness rest just wouldn't come. She lay on her side, Inuyasha's breath warm and slow against the back of her neck, and stared at the dim silhouette of the mountain rising up above them. It looked normal. She stretched out her senses to their limits and found nothing strange. Everything about it seemed absolutely harmless, but she couldn't ignore the strange feeling in the pit of her stomach she got when she looked at it. The sensation wasn't butterflies, exactly, and it wasn't nausea, but it wasn't good. She had only felt like this a few times before in her life; the first was when she came home from school to find her mother sobbing on the couch, a policeman next to her. She was young but she'd known instantly, somehow, that her daddy was gone. The second time was a few months later on the day her mother went into labor with Souta. The last time was the day she fell into the well and met Inuyasha.

She stretched uncomfortably, ignoring Inuyasha's sleepy grunt as she turned over, putting her back firmly to the stupid mountain. She shut her eyes firmly and tucked her head under his chin, but the uncomfortable, heavy flip-flop of her stomach refused to stop.

"Dammit," she whispered. The sun would be up in an hour or so and she hadn't gotten a wink of sleep with that ugly hunk of rock looming over her like it knew something she didn't.

Finally she surrendered, sitting up with a shiver as the frigid night air hit her. She tried to crawl out of the sleeping bag without waking Inuyasha, but that of course was futile. The moment she squirmed of his arms he opened one eye, glowing dimly copper in the nearly nonexistent moonlight.

"Warm. Come back," he ordered sleepily. She smiled at him and shook her head.

"Can't sleep. I'm gonna get breakfast going. We can get an early start." He regarded her for a moment longer, then shrugged and burrowed back into the sleeping bag, only his ears showing.

As she carefully brought the fire back to life, she was as quiet as she could be, but apparently not enough. Huojin sat up on his elbows with a bit of a start and she grimaced. _Oops. I didn't mean to wake anyone yet. _

"Wha'? Time to go?" he asked sleepily, blinking at her.

"Nope. Couldn't sleep," she admitted. He yawned widely and scooted up next to the fire gratefully. "You can sleep for a while longer," she told him, but he shook his head.

"Nah, once I'm up I'm up."

They sat companionably side by side, relishing the heat of the flames as the sky ever-so-slowly began to lighten. Kagome glanced at him sideways as she heated up the last of her oatmeal, realizing that he looked much younger without the beard and after a week of good food and water. _I don't know him well yet but for some reason my instincts are telling me to trust him. It feels safe with him. _He stretched again, and his rough woven coat rode up, revealing a strip of tanned stomach. Kagome blinked as she caught a glimpse of a wide knotted scar, pale against dark skin, that zigzagged across half his stomach and around to his back. _That must have been one hell of a wound_, she thought in horror, looking away quickly.

"So what's the plan for today?" he asked quietly. She pointed at the mountain, making a face. "Ah. Into the lair of the beast."

"What are they like?" she asked curiously.

"Dragons?"

"Mmhmm. I mean, I've seen pictures from my time. Are they accurate?" He started to answer, then froze, giving her an odd look.

"Your time?"

"Uhh..." she gaped at him for a moment. Normally she was very good at guarding her tongue from slips like that. Villagers and the like in the feudal era were already usually so suspicious of her, in her strange clothes with her mechanical 'horse' and other futuristic paraphernalia, there was no need to add fuel to the fire. "Uh, my land, I mean, I'm not from the same place as the others." She thought she'd said it smoothly, but Huojin simply kept looking at her levelly, his eyes very blue, and she had the distinct feeling that he would absolutely know if she kept lying.

She sighed and he smiled.

"I have secrets too," he told her. "Trade? You tell me yours and I'll tell you one of mine." She hesitated. "I would very, very much like to know what time you refer to," he added, still not taking his eyes from her face. _It seems this is really important to him for some reason... He will be traveling with us, he'll figure it out eventually, might as well go for it._

"Fine, okay, but I'm going to warn you in advance; I'm not crazy." He laughed a little, but nodded. "Okay. This sounds really weird but I'm actually from the future. There's a well that functions as a time-traveling..." she stopped, staring as he leapt to his feet.

"The future?" he shouted. "The future! Oh, thank the gods, the future!"

His shout had an unintended effect. Sango, her instincts taking over, dived out of her blankets and came up in a combat stance with her blade at the ready, eyes darting everywhere. Inuyasha reacted much the same way, jumping to his feet with a grunt, hand on the hilt of Tetsusaiga. The monk was much slower on the uptake, merely sitting up with a cavernous yawn, though he did lay a hand on his staff. They all froze in their various postures, Huojin with his hands raised triumphantly in the air, staring at each other.

"What on earth?" Sango said, finally lowering her weapon. Miroku, ascertaining that there was no immediate danger, promptly flopped back to the ground and she shot him an irritated glance.

Huojin shrugged apologetically. "Damn, I'm sorry, I didn't- I didn't mean to yell, it's only that Kagome here is from the future!" A huge smile spread over his face. "It's wonderful news to me."

Sango raised a brow at him, exchanging a confused look with Kagome and Inuyasha. "Oh?" she said cautiously.

He sat back down, putting his head in his hands for a moment, forcing himself to calm down. "I'm not- I didn't mean to come off crazy," he said with a grimace. "It's just that I've never met anyone else in all my travels who was from the future too."

Everyone gaped at him, and even Miroku sat up. Kagome frowned, totally surprised. "Huh?"

Huojin, apparently losing his battle for calmness, fell onto his back in the dirt and began laughing. "We're both from the future, Kagome!" he said gleefully, one arm over his face as he grinned madly.

"But I've never- I mean, you don't- how?" she said helplessly.

"It was a long time ago, probably twenty years," he told her, sitting back upright with a deep breath. "I was young, six I think. I was in a garden somewhere, and then I was- well, I was here."

"So how is it you speak the languages of both lands?" Miroku broke in curiously, apparently having resigned himself to the fact that he had to wake up.

"I was born in the islands. I stowed away on some idiot warlord's boat to come here a long time ago, once I saw that I couldn't return home. There wasn't much point staying, really. " The monk nodded. His curiousity may have been appeased, but Huojin's certainly wasn't. He turned to Kagome again, eyes alight. "So tell me everything. How did it happen for you? Can you- can you go back?" He asked the last question casually, but she sensed an ocean of longing behind it, and impulsively patted him on the shoulder.

"Well, yes, I can go back, but it's only because I carry the Shikon no Tama with me when I do." She pointed at the gem around Inuyasha's neck., deciding to keep the explanation simple. "That's a very poweful relic. Inuyasha can come too, but he doesn't need the jewel, we don't know why, and no one else seems to be able to pass through. It's a well, a dry one. I just kind of fell in one day, because I had- uh, I'd been born with the jewel in my body, but at that point I didn't know it. Anyway, that's really it."

He scrubbed a hand through his dark mop of hair, brows furrowed. "This is amazing. This is- I never thought to meet anyone else from the future! I don't have one of those jewels, and I tried and tried to get back, nothing every happened."

Inuyasha broke in. "How do we know you're really from the future?"

"I'm more interested in knowing if you are from the same time as Kagome or not," Sango put in.

"Er- well, I _am_ from another time," he said a bit defensively. "I remember cars, gigantic buildings taller than the tallest pine. TV. In- internet." He said the words slowly, a distant look on his face. "I think I rode in a plane once. I remember looking out the window and seeing clouds far below."

Kagome clapped her hands. "That's all from my time! You must be from very close to the same era as I am!" Huojin shot her a tiny smile, face suddenly closed off, and she blinked.

"Yes. Quite an amazing coincidence," he said softly. "So it's only the jewel that lets you through? It's not... part of your blood?"

"Blood? I don't know what you mean."

"You're entirely human?"

She blinked again. "Well, yes, but that doesn't seem to affect anything. Inuyasha's a hanyou but he can come through." _Why would he ask that?_

Huojin shrugged casually. "Interesting. I was wondering if perhaps it was some power that you had." He stood up and moved away next to Changchang, back to the group as he began picking up her feet to check for stones, murmuring something softly to her.

Kagome looked at everyone else, eyebrows raised. "Wild, right? I knew I was right in helping him," she said in satisfaction. "Maybe we can help him get home!"

Inuyasha was frowning, looking at the man and his horse, so she poked him in the ribs.

"Ow, woman, what do you want?" he snapped.

"Eat your breakfast," she said gently, taking her own advice as the sun broke fully over the horizon. The tip of the mountain glowed brightly in the sunlight and she shot it a mean look, feeling her stomach begin to turn again.

The feeling didn't go away as they began the long, exhausting trek up her the rocky heights of her nemesis. In fact, it became more pronounced. She kept half-unconsciously stretching out her priestess senses, feeling around for signs of demon aura, but there was nothing.

"Girl, why do you keep doing that?" Inuyasha finally asked, making a face. "I can feel you thinking and it's burning my nose. I need my nose right now."

She winced. "Oh, I'm sorry. It's just- something- I have a weird feeling."

"An aura?"

"No, there's nothing that I can sense. I just- I have a bad feeling," she said uncomfortably. It sounded stupid to her, but Inuyasha seemed to take it seriously.

"Okay, well, I'll keep my eyes peeled. But please stop doing that, I really need my nose right now, all right?" she nodded. It wasn't till a good hour later that she noticed he wasn't pausing to sniff the wind for possible warnings as he usually would when they were walking into unknown territory. He was walking directly downwind of Huojin and keeping an ear towards him at all times.

She watched him for a while, frowning. _Why does he need his nose for Huojin? I would think he'd be more worried about possible hungry dragons. _She looked at Huojin; the man was doing nothing, simply sitting astride Changchang, who was obviously very used to rocky terrain, judging by the smooth and practiced way she kept up with them. _He rides her with no bridle or saddle... that's unusual, right? Not that I know jack about horses, but still... _She sped up a little, coming closer. All she could hear were snippets of Huojin and Sango's conversation, something about ways to kill the demons of this land; Huojin sounded surprisingly well informed, but everything seemed normal. She fell back again beside Inuyasha, trying to ignore her burning legs.

"What's up?" she said quietly, lifting her chin towards Huojin. Inuyasha shook his head.

"Dunno. I keep... I keep thinking I smell something weird, but it's damn faint. I can't get a read on it." He gave a short growl. "You sense anything funny about him?"

She gave him a look. "Pretty sure I would have sensed anything 'funny' a bit earlier than now. We've been with him a week. Besides, I was feeling around all over earlier; you're the one who told me to stop."

"Do it again. Just him, this time." She sighed and began to concentrate, lips thinning as she sent out a distinct tendril of power towards the horseman, as strong as she could manage. She felt nothing, though she pushed so hard sweat broke out on her brow.

"Nothing. Sorry," she started to tell Inuyasha, but she stopped. Huojin had twisted around on Changchang's back and was staring all around them, eyes narrow.

"Did anybody just feel something strange?" he asked. Kagome and Inuyasha exchanged startled glances. _How did he feel that? Normally humans can't tell when I'm doing that_!

"Uh- no, I didn't sense anything," she called back up to him. He bit his lip, but nodded and settled back down, hips swaying easily to Changchang's movements as he patted her shoulder. Kagome glanced at Inuyasha again, raising an eyebrow. They were both thinking the exact same thing- _What the hell is going on?_


	35. Chapter 35

Author says: Again, sorry for the confusion with the previous two chapters. It really threw me getting everything I had written up gone. So to apologize, here's another chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

They kept an eye on Huojin, and Inuyasha's nose nearly wore itself out with furious sniffing, but nothing new came to light. Kagome was so distracted she nearly tripped when Miroku, walking ahead of the pair, held up his staff with a jingle.

"Hang on," he ordered. "Look at this, a hut way up here." Everyone peered at it. It was tiny and run-down, tucked into the shelter of a rock outcropping as if frightened of something, and it looked as if it had been abandoned for a very long time. Inuyasha walked up to it and stuck his head in the doorway.

"Empty," he said with satisfaction. "I vote we eat!" Everyone felt their stomachs begin to growl at the thought of food. Hiking up a mountain all morning definitely built an appetite. Kagome plopped down on the wooden floor of the hut, coughing as dust rose up, and began to pull out supplies.

"Oh," she said faintly, frowning. "Guys, we're almost out of food. Water too." They all groaned, except for Miroku, who was up to his shoulders in a messy pile of parchment rolls shoved into one corner of the hut. He withdrew from the jumble looking like an old man, hair covered in dust.

"Huojin, can you read this land's language?" he asked excitedly. "Look at these. They're all illustrations of dragons, correct?" The other man came over and unrolled one parchment, tilting his head to study it.

"You're right," he said in surprise. "I wonder what this many scrolls are doing all the way up here? This is fine parchment, and beautiful penmanship." Miroku raised an eyebrow at him. "I might look ratty but I worked for a long time for one of the lords of this land. He had quite the extensive library," Huojin told him with a laugh, returning his attention to the scroll. He squinted, biting his lip. By this time everyone else had gathered around as well.

"Well? What does it say?" Kagome said eagerly, but Huojin shook his head, a look of intense concentration on his face.

"I don't quite know. These characters are similar to the language I know, but they're- off, a little bit. It's almost as though they're of a very old style, or something," he frowned. Kagome pulled another scroll from the pile and started to unroll it, but then she noticed Inuyasha's face. He was looking at Huojin in consternation, nose going wild as the man tried to make sense of the writing.

Kagome grabbed his sleeve and pulled him off to her backpack, away from the others. "Here, help me with this food," she said casually. He immediately caught on and crouched down next to her, speaking his next words in a whisper.

"He smells like a fuckin' snake, somethin' scaly. I finally caught it. He's no human, Kagome." She gasped.

"Seriously? Are you sure? How could I not have sensed that?" The hanyou shrugged, keeping an ear trained behind them.

"Dunno, probably because this is all your fault, he knows everything about us now."

"My fault?" she hissed, glaring at him. He glared right back.

"Yeah, your fault, you felt all sorry for him and his pretty pony and had to go saving them. Now we're all out of supplies halfway up a mountain because we've been feeding his useless ass, and apparently he can't even do the one thing we brought him along for, which is translate! But, you know, greeeaat people skills," he said sarcastically. Kagome gave him a look that said quite clearly she would have set him on fire if it were possible.

"Excuse me for trying to help! Gods, it's not like he's that strong, he seems human to me so what are you so worried about, you jerk? If worst comes to worst we can take him out easily!" Kagome stopped, one hand over her mouth as she realized how loud her voice had grown in her fury at Inuyasha. She turned around slowly, flinching at the look on Huojin's face. He had put his back to the wall of the hut, eyeing the entrance that was currently blocked by her.

"Take me out?" he said with deceptive ease. "Are you working for the dragons then? Bringing them fresh meat in exchange for water?" The slayer and the monk were both giving everyone confused looks, having only heard the tail end of Kagome's words and having no idea what was going on.

Kagome shook her head desperately, holding out her hands placatingly. "No! No, Huojin, it's just that-" Inuyasha interrupted her, putting a clawed hand to the grip of his sword. "It's just that you smell like a damn filthy demon lizard," he said loudly. "I been pickin' something up funny about you since we met, but I could never get a fix on it until you started trying to read that scroll. It's even stronger now that you're scared." He said the last with a cocky grin.

"Fuck you," Huojin said clearly. A sudden agitated whinny and the sound of stomping feet came from outside the hut. "Fuck you very much. I have told you all everything you need to know, guided you to the dragon's mountain, and you plan to kill me?" He was standing on the balls of his feet, body thrumming with tension, obviously ready to run. Sango and her fiance had stepped away from him, joining the rest of their party at the entrance the hut, and it was obvious he didn't like his trapped position.

"Everyone just calm down," Kagome yelled, stomping one foot. "Look, I trust Huojin!"

"Ah, so much you want to kill me," the man said sourly. She shot him an irritated stare.

"Shut up, you, that's not what I meant! Inuyasha just- well, he said you don't smell human, and his nose is never wrong," she said apologetically. His eyes narrowed. "Look, you told me this morning you had secrets, that's okay!" she said desperately. "You can tell us, I promise. We won't hurt you, we just want to know- um, whatever it is you haven't told us."

Huojin didn't budge an inch from his battle-ready crouch. "Why don't we all go outside and talk this out?"

Just then, Inuyasha surprised Kagome by taking his hand off Tetsusaiga. He was sniffing the air again, giving Huojin a hard glance, but he took a step back. "Didn't I tell you I was a hanyou, stupid?"

"So?" Huojin growled. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Fucking idiot. It's obvious now you're part demon, now that your blood's up I can smell it way better than before. We don't give a shit. You should have told us, though, dumbass." He said it matter-of-factly, then turned on his heel and ushered everyone out of the hut., though he avoided the angry horse pacing around. Kagome looked up at him. _Inuyasha actually stood up for him. Why? _He looked down at her briefly, golden eyes shining, and it hit her. _Oh. He's a half demon too. He knows exactly what Huojin's been through. _

"How did we not figure this out?" she groaned. _I feel terrible, poor Huojin, he thought we wanted to murder him! _Suddenly his voice came from behind her as he edged out of the doorway towards a rather pissed looking Changchang.

"It's because it's only a tiny bit," he said stiffy. "I'm from your time, remember, Kagome? Whatever I am is just a few drops, it's been diluted by the generations. That's my theory anyway."

"Huojin- I am so, so sorry," she said sincerely. "It's just that Inuyasha kept scenting something and, well, we didn't know. It doesn't matter to us at all, really." He gave her a skeptical look.

"You're not going to try to stab me with a pitchfork?" he said dryly. She was relieved to see the corner of his mouth twitching up.

"Definitely not," Sango put in firmly. "We don't carry those prejudices."

Huojin regarded them all for another long moment, a strange look on his face. "Is that so. Well, you're the first of many." He hesitated again, then sighed. "I am sorry I didn't inform you, but that revelation hasn't been met with much goodwill in the past and I- well I didn't even know myself for a long time. I just knew I was different... Anyway, uh, those scrolls in there- from the little I can make out, they're full of dragon lore. Mostly stuff I already know, though. It's a very old style of script."

Kagome smiled at him, relieved at the change of subject. "Oh? What do you know, exactly?"

"It's just the old legends," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "The dragons supposedly take human form and breed with humans, because the Jade Emperor wants the people of this land to become strong, all of that."

"That actually seems like it might be relevant," said Sango thoughtfully, tapping one finger on her lip. "Is that the only agreement the dragons have with the Emperor?" Huojin nodded silently. "Well, then, it makes sense that it must be that treaty he broke to enrage the dragons so," she pointed out. Kagome's brow creased in thought.

"That's sound reasoning. But if the dragons have been doing this for so long, then why is it suddenly a problem?" She looked around, but no one seemed to have an idea.

Suddenly, in unified alarm, both Huojin and Inuyasha gave a wild yell, turning to the edge of the cliff they were on. At nearly the same moment, Kagome felt a rush of aura so massive it set her eyes to watering. _What the hell? _"Look out!" she managed to say, before a wall of wind knocked her off her feet.

As she struggled to sit up in the rushing wind and dust, putting a shielding hand in front of her eyes, all she could make out was a gigantic white blur. She heard Huojin yell something, heard a terrified snort from Changchang, and then Inuyasha was rolling on the ground beside her with his hands over his ears as something began to laugh. Kagome cried out, the pain of the massive voice ringing through her head like a bolt of lightning, before everything disappeared in a wash of blackness.


	36. Chapter 36

Author says: Lots of talk talk talking in this, sorry, I hope it's not _too_ boring. But dragon! Cool, right? :) Let me know what you think of the direction I'm taking this. Enjoy!

Xia: Chinese female name, meaning, as far as I can tell from google, 'glow of the sunrise' and also the first dynasty of China. Seemed appropriate.

Temujin: Known later in life as Genghis Khan. I promise this will not turn into Mulan.

Other note: I am basing the next arc of this story, the taking of Beijing, roughly on an actual chinese event, though it took place in 1214, long before the '500 years' that Kagome went back in time. I'm taking a little creative liberty with that.

* * *

Kagome awoke to the worst headache she'd ever felt in her life. She cracked one eye, whimpering, and judging by the darkness it was either night or she was underground. She tried to sit up and cried out as her head spun agonizingly. Despite the pain, she managed to rise to her knees. Someone was saying something. _Huojin?_ She gritted her teeth and opened her eyes all the way, and his concerned face swam into view, lit by a dancing orange glow that had to be fire. With effort, she managed to focus on his words.

"...you all right? Xia here forgot about our weak human ears," he was saying. She frowned.

"Xia?" It came out as more of a croak. Suddenly she stiffened. "Inuyasha! Oh, no where is he?" She heaved herself to her feet but the movement sent a shock of fire through her skull and she fell to her knees, gagging. Suddenly two cool, strong hands touched her temples; they felt like the hands of a statue, chill as marble. She started to flinch away, but stopped as wave of... something washed through her body. "Ohh," she moaned, feeling near tears as her pain dissipated. The touch went away. She took a deep breath and stood up again, to her surprise, feeling no pain at all.

"Oh, good," said Huojin, materializing by her side with a look of relief. "You're all right now. So is everyone else," he added hastily, pointing. She looked and saw all the others laid out carefully on the floor of the small hut. They appeared to be sleeping peacefully; she sighed as she saw no wounds.

She shook her head, blowing out a huge breath, still half expecting that fiery pain to reappear. "What happened? It's nighttime- how long have I been out?" _I feel woozy as hell, almost drunk_, she thought in confusion.

He shrugged. "A while, I guess, I just woke up a little while ago."

"How did you fix my headache?" she asked curiously.

He raised a brow. "Not me, Kagome, the dragon." She gaped at him. He grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around, putting her face to face with another woman. The memory of the gigantic white shape and the earsplitting laugh came back to her suddenly.

"Oh," she gasped. "Dragon- what- who are you?" The woman regarded her stonily with bright sky-colored eyes set over pronounced cheekbones. She was short, even shorter than Kagome, with a wild mass of unruly curls the color of smoke falling to her hips. _She's the most beautiful person I've ever seen. _Next to her, even Sesshoumaru in all his exquisite elegance would look like a dirty peasant. Kagome wrapped her arms around herself, feeling rather like a bug under the woman's laserlike gaze.

"Thank you," she said slowly. _Is she- is she wearing Huojin's shirt? _She looked at him, for the first time realizing he was shirtless. He caught her glance and shrugged.

"She didn't have clothes when she transformed, I guess," he murmured. "Bit, ah, awkward."

Kagome clutched her head again. When the woman spoke, she jumped. "You may call me Xia. I have need of you all," she told them in a voice so impossibly melodic and lovely that it became obvious she wasn't human, despite her perfect body.

"O-Okay," Kagome answered her, deciding she might as well be comfortable and warm despite all this weirdness and sitting down next to the firepit. It also put her casually between the woman and Inuyasha, and closer to her bow. "Uh, is- is everyone okay?"

"They will awake when I allow them to," the dragon said smoothly. "First I need your aid."

"With what? You're a dragon. What on earth is there that you can't take care of?" Huojin marveled. She turned her gaze to him and gave a long, slow and distinctly reptilian blink.

"The dragon lords have forbidden us from bringing the rain, and our land are dying. I myself cannot disobey the lord's decree. However, I will _not _sit idly by and watch my lands wither away." Her eyes slit dangerously and Kagome felt a chill pass over her. Judging by Huojin's shiver, he felt it too. "I am going to explain to you why this decree was passed, so listen carefully. Long ago, the Jade Emperor made a deal with us. In return for calm rains and our stewardship of this land, he would send us the best and the strongest of his warriors and the most faithful and pure of his priestesses to bear our young. These young would guard his human subjects and protect the lands. In return, we would gain the offerings of the humans our young protected and no others would be allowed entrance to our mountains. It was peaceful, for a while, for the whole land." Her voice had dropped into a rhythmic storytelling cadence, and Kagome and Huojin were both starstruck, gazing at her like little children.

"And?" Kagome said eagerly, chin on her knees as the firelight flickered against the dragon's inhumanly beautiful face.

"And we were betrayed. The Emperor began sending us unworthy candidates. He allowed our legend to die out. We do not leave our mountains; we did not know for many years, until our offerings stopped coming. In retaliation, we stopped giving the humans our children. The Emperor grew tired of the chaos; without our halfblood children to keep order and educate them, his human subjects grew stupid and angry. Wars broke out everywhere. He broke the treaty a second time then. He let in our worthless cousins from the snows of the far north to breed with the humans in our stead."

Huojin and Kagome looked at each other; his dark brows were raised thoughtfully. This story matched all the information they had gathered so far. _It fits with what the dire wolf said, what Sesshoumaru said, all of it, _Kagome thought, quirking her mouth at him.

Xia gave a surprisingly human sigh. "Are you listening?" They both jumped and nodded like scolded children. "Good. These inferior northern worms are little better than the most common youkai. They should not even hold the name dragon. When they bred with the humans, the results were... unpleasant. The offspring were bloodthirsty beasts with too much power and too few morals. Humans grew to fear the children of the dragons. This is when the murders became even worse. Both the offspring of the northern beasts and our own children were shunned and murdered." She hissed the last word, clenching her delicate fists. "We drove out the northern dragons, but the damage remained. Our children, the ones born to protect the humans, are all dead, from the eldest to the newborns."

Kagome put a hand to her mouth, horrified. _This is just as bad as what Inuyasha went through, or Jininji, or even Huojin... this is so sad!_ Xia looked at her directly, eyes serious under slim gray brows.

"This cannot go on. The Lords made the decision to stop the rain to punish the Jade Emperor for his misdeeds and lies, but the drought will not bring back peace; it is affecting the whole world, as all the demons of our country flee. I cannot defy the decree of the Lords, but that does not mean I cannot put in motion the means to save my land. That is why you were brought here."

Kagome cast another glance back at Inuyasha to check on him. "I don't- Xia, how on earth could we help with this? I feel for you, I do, the way hanyous are treated is absolutely awful and wrong, I've seen it first hand. But if the dragons and the Emperor are fighting- you are both so powerful. How can we help?" Beside her Huojin was quiet and thoughtful, close to the heat of the fire as he stared at Xia.

"I know of your exploits," the woman said with a flick of her hand. Kagome gave her a look that was equal parts skeptical and confused. "I am a dragon, girl, does it surprise you that I know? You are a priestess with great spiritual strength, the slayer with you has the blood of a thousand years of warriors in her veins, the monk is- well, filthy, but also a man of great faith. The nekomata has fought more evil than you know. As for the two hanyous with you, one is the powerful son of a dog lord who was longtime ally to my species, and the other is a distant son of my brother. You are a party with great strength." Kagome felt her eyes widen and with a sudden, spastic movement Huojin grabbed her arm, face working furiously. He started to speak, but Xia held up a slim finger.

"We do not have much time. This is what I need." She leaned forward, looking ghostly and haunted as the flames lit her face from below, casting harsh shadows. "Far the north there is a great leader, Temujin, of the Mongols. The human emperor of this land has been at war with him for two years, but I have seen defeat in his future. The Mongol barbarians will take Beijing and slaughter every man, woman and child inside the city unless we stop them. Those beasts could have been pushed back years ago if only our children were still among the humans to give strength!" Her full lips were pressed together. "Kagome, if Beijing falls, the Mongols will sweep across this land and the death of it will be complete. You must travel to the north and fight Temujin. You must make a hero of the hanyou, you must show the nation through deeds they cannot ignore that demon blood is a gift from the gods, not a curse. You must turn the tide of this land and give back to the people a worthy hanyou to follow and love, so that we can bring our children back to guard the people. The day those with demon blood are welcomed is the day the Lords will return the waters to revive the land."

As she said the last few words, her dulcet voice urgent, a pulse of power swept out from her like a tsunami in a pond. Kagome actually saw Huojin's hair blow back. The dragon hesitated for a moment, then stood up gracefully, looking almost like a child in Huojin's baggy homespun. "Please, help me," she said, sending out another wave of strength, seemingly without even realizing.

Kagome and Huojin looked at each other, expressions indescribable. Neither even knew where to start, and Kagome sneakily pinched her arm to see if she was dreaming, because the fact that the most powerful being she'd ever met was begging for her help to save China was just... it was ridiculous. She had to be dreaming; maybe she was still passed out. She pinched herself again, harder, but nothing happened and she gave a heartfelt groan, pulling distractedly on her fair.

"Okay. Okay, um, okay, but I- there's only five of us! Six, counting Kirara."

"Seven. Changchang," Huojin broke in, looking more than a little dazed and confused. She eyed him incredulously, wondering if Xia had broken him permanently.

"Uh. Seven. What are seven of us supposed to do against an entire country?" she moaned. "We just got done fighting the same asshole that took us two years to kill. We almost died. Please don't make us do this." She didn't realize it at first, but she was crying.

The dragon looked at her with such compassion in those liquid blue eyes that Kagome began crying even harder. "I know you are scared," she said in her silvery voice, walking around the fire to lay a cool hand on both their heads, like a benevolent goddess. "But there is such a thing as destiny, and such a thing as fate. You are all tied together and that thread cannot be broken. If you do not do this, no one will, and I cannot promise you that your family or your world will be the same when you next return, Kagome. You chose to come here, to help, and that decision has led you to greater things than you ever imagined." She pulled her hand away and it was like the sun leaving the sky. "You can do this. I will help you however I can; look for my aid." She paused, and said very quietly, "I will try to protect you, but I cannot promise you all will survive this."

Then she turned and walked out of the hut, gray ringlets glinting multicolored like a sunset sky in the light of the fire, and with a breathtaking rush of power and a gust of wind that shook the walls she was gone. All Kagome could see as the fire was blown out was a sweeping sliver of something massive and white and beautiful curling away to the sounds of Changchang's startled hooves. She was crying even harder now, shock and confusion shaking her from the inside with sobs. Huojin gently flicked stray coals back into the firepit beside her and began coaxing it back to life, not saying anything besides a wordless croon to his horse, waiting outside.

"I have fire," she hiccuped, rummaging for her backpack in the dark. She shakily managed to light a match. Ten minutes later, the fire was alive again and her tears were subsiding as she poked Inuyasha. He rolled over with a sleepy grumble. When she tried Miroku and Sango, they didn't wake up either, but her priestess senses only brought her a feeling of exhaustion and dreams when she probed them. _Asleep? Really?_ Xia may have overdone it. _She did forget about our weak little human ears and knock us out by saying hello, of all things._ She sighed, returning to the fire and Huojin. To her surprise, Kirara came stumbling alongside, her pink eyes large and curious. "Long story," Kagome sighed, patting her as she curled up and went to sleep again, apparently still just as tired as the others.

Deep in her thoughts and fears, she started when Huojin spoke. "Did you hear her? I'm a dragon. That was my aunt." He mouthed the words lowly, carefully, as if they were made of spun glass, and she looked at him.

"That's right. I forgot." She pulled her knees to her chest and pulled her opalescent bow next to her like a security blanket, staring into the fire. "You have her eyes," she added, and he almost cried too.


	37. Chapter 37

"That is the stupidest fuckin' thing I've ever heard!" Inuyasha shouted.

"_You're_ the stupidest fucking thing _I've_ ever heard!" Kagome shrieked back nonsensically, face scarlet. "We're not making it up! Do you seriously think I want to go declaring war on an entire country?" They were standing toe to toe, both with clenched fists as they went at it. The rest of the group was simply watching in horror, Huojin peering out from a safe spot behind Changchang.

"You sure didn't argue with the 'dragon lady' now did you?" he bellowed back, using sarcastic air quotes that made Kagome want to shoot off his hands. "I really like how you just fuckin' volunteered us for this shit that has nothing to do with us! Busybody bitch!" He shot the last over his shoulder as he stalked off, clutching his pounding head and leaving Kagome red-faced and stuttering, so angry she couldn't even form coherent words.

Sango took a deep breath and put a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder, but she actually jumped back when Kagome wheeled to face her with murder in her eyes. "Uh- Kagome, he- uh, I'm sure he didn't mean any of that," she began gently, but her friend just buried her face in her hands and gave a muffled scream, stomping her feet wildly.

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"

Miroku eventually lost patience with her tantrum and poked her with the end of his staff. "Are you quite done?" She blinked at him, then sighed and muttered a sulky, 'yes'. "Good. Don't kill me for saying this, but he has a point, though he could have made it more delicately." She gaped up at him.

"Miroku! You traitor!"

"It's simply the truth, Kagome. We function as a team, but that does not mean one of us is allowed to unilaterally make decisions that put all our lives at risk," he said firmly.

"I- ugh. Fine, you're right, but he's acting like we made it all up or something!" she said in irritation, fisting her hands in her hair. "Xia didn't really give us a choice. I mean, she did, but she was so- she made really good points! Someone has to do something or half the people in this entire country will get murdered! If she was talking about the people I think she was, I read about them at school, they're not really a country you want invading you."

Miroku sighed. "I wish this beautiful lady had allowed all of us to stay awake," he murmured. Sango whacked him viciously on the back of the head as she walked by to join Kagome, who had stalked to the edge of the mountain and was looking out over the land spreading below them, brown and withered.

"Kagome," she said quietly, "He's an absolute idiot, but he's right. We're all tired. This isn't our land, and these dragons don't control us. We don't owe them anything. Why does this mean so much to you?"

"Because, how can we know that so many people will die and not do anything?"

"From what you said, the people here brought this on themselves by killing all the hanyous that were protecting them," the slayer pointed out, dark eyes serious. The other girl blinked.

"I- well, yes, but they don't know any better!"

"Decent humans have the ability to make choices for themselves. They chose to judge others on their blood instead of their actions, and they chose to kill the innocents."

"Is it truly a choice if they believe their lives are in danger?" Huojin broke in, his face thoughtful and somber. Sango shook her head, making a face. "No, listen, I've lived it. The people who tried to hurt me were terrified. All the demons they had ever known were killers, pure evil. That does not mean they weren't good people who deserved to live."

"How can you call people like that good?" Sango blurted, tugging on her ponytail.

Huojin fixed her with a level stare. "Because I was living with them. I worked in their fields, I ate and laughed with them. They only turned on me once they learned about my demon blood."

"Exactly!" Sango barked triumphantly. "That's my point. You lived with them, you proved your good intentions, but they turned on you simply because of something you couldn't even help!"

"I'm not defending what they did," he bit back, eyes flashing. "I am saying they don't deserve to die simply because they reacted in a fear that was not entirely unfounded. You've seen war the same as I, you're a slayer, you know that humans can be just as cruel as demons! If we don't help, then what Xia told us will come to pass. There will be rape. Torture. Innocents burned alive, boys who can barely hold a weapon drafted into armies. Girls will be taken as slaves. Families will never see each other again. The fields will be salted, the wells poisoned with human bodies." Sango and Kagome were both he listed off atrocities. "I'm not from this land, but I've survived here for a long time, and if I can help protect it and bring it back to peace then I will!" His blue eyes were ablaze.

Kagome was smiling at his eloquence, but Sango still shook her head. "This isn't our fight," she said desperately.

"Then why did we travel all the way here, Sango? Just for fun?" Kagome said bitterly. "I didn't think you of all people were a coward." As soon as she said it, she bit her lip, but the slayer was already gone in an instant, back stiff.

Huojin and Kagome looked at each other in despair. Kagome wasn't surprised to find she was crying again. _I'm such an idiot, how could I say something so mean to Sango? She's been through so much, her wedding keeps getting pushed back, of course she doesn't want to deal with this._ She felt her throat close as she fought back tears. _I don't know what to do, but I know I can't allow a whole country to die if I can help._

Huojin crouched next to her on his heels and put an tentative hand on her arm, patting hesitantly. He was wearing his rough overshirt again, but it had ripped when Xia transformed, and it was tied awkwardly. Ae he crouched it rode up again, revealing his scar.

"Did the people here do this to you?" Kagome hiccupped, pointing at it.

"Yes," he said simply. "Sadly, it appears I don't have demon healing powers." She laughed miserably, lips trembling.

"And you still want to go risk your life?"

"Yes. Absolutely. Life is precious, and it's fragile. Besides, if we can do as Xia said and make Inuyasha a hero- maybe I can help other hanyous. Maybe everyone will stop trying to kill us."

Kagome frowned, wiping her face with the back of her hand. "Inuyasha? I thought she meant you. I mean, you're the dragon, right? And you're her family."

"Family. That's so strange to think of..." he mused, squinting thoughtfully. _He was only six when he came here_, she thought suddenly. _How on earth did a little kid survive in a world like this, full of demons and wars?_

As if he was reading her mind, he said suddenly, "Is the world this terrible in your- our time?" She considered for a long moment, tearing up again. _The Holocaust. Genocide. Racism, slavery, prostitution. Drugs. There's still murder and there's still wars. Plus we're killing the planet and the polar bears..._ her face crinkled up.

"Yes," she choked.

"Is it still beautiful?"

She considered again, surprised by his question. After a long moment, she let out the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, blowing her overgrown bangs from her eyes. "Yes. Yeah, it is."

"Well, then, we should save it," he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "This little chunk of it, anyway. I'm sure the Mongols won't stop at our borders. They'll do the same things to your home." He stood up, rubbing a hand over his chin. "I didn't even think she might have meant me," he added with a frown. "I'm definitely not hero material. You man, though, he's very strong. He's a true warrior."

"I probably should go tell him I'm sorry," Kagome said sadly. "I'm sorry for getting you into all this, too."

He waved a hand. "Nah, it's fine. Gotta keep things interesting, right?"

She smiled at him as she started to follow Inuyasha's earlier path down the mountain. She couldn't see him, but she could feel him, a hard little pissed off knot, and she followed it.

The hanyou was currently perched on the edge of a rock jutting out from the mountain, ignoring the chill of it seeping through his firerat. He wasn't that far; he didn't intend to go so far he couldn't hear Kagome if something attacked her, despite how furious he might be at the moment. He realized he was drumming one clawed hand on Tetsusaiga's hilt and forced himself to stop, eyes slitting. _She's so damn naïve, she acts like it's nothing at all walking into the middle of a war this big_, he reflected irritably. _Besides, what good would this do us? We can take care of anything that comes to our home, and I ain't no errand boy for an overgrown snake. We shouldn't have come poking around in the first place. _His ears went limp as his thoughts grew darker. _I just got her. I can't lose her. _One ear perked up a little, picking up the sounds of approaching feet.

"What do you want?" he snapped, nose picking up an incredibly stressed out Kagome. _Tears. Aw, dammit all, I fuckin' hate when she starts crying. _She gave a shaky sigh, staying behind him. He didn't look back.

"I'm sorry."

He grunted, then relented. "Yeah, me too. Didn't mean to call you that."

She came and set beside him, pulling the hood of her coat up against the biting mountain wind. _She's even cute when she's been crying. That's not even fair. _He threw an arm around her and she leaned into his warmth gratefully, looking up at him with big brown eyes as she snuggled to his side. He kissed her firmly and warmly, one hand cupping her face, an apology and a promise of protection, hoping she would read in his actions what was so hard for him to say.

"Inuyasha, I can't let a whole country get destroyed. Xia told us it's our destiny, and that no one but us can help." He growled in frustration. _Girl sure can kill the mood..._

"So? Maybe she's lying. Anyway, people get killed every day," he added brutally. "You can't save everyone in the world, Kagome, it's hard enough for us to help the people back home."

"This is different. This is something only we can do. And she wasn't lying."

"How do you know?" he scoffed.

"I just do!" she said firmly. "Anyway, I have to go apologize to Sango, I was a total... well, a bitch, like you said." He gave her an apologetic look, but she just gave a weary chuckle and stood back up. "Coming?"

"In a minute."

"Kay." There was a sour pause. "I'm doing this, Inuyasha. I am." She laid it down like a gauntlet, her voice clear and sure even if he could smell her fear, and then just walked off.

He slumped down gloomily, flopping to his back to look up at the clear, dry sky above them, nose stinging in the cold. _I go where Kagome goes, I guess._ He knew it was the absolute and unchangeable truth, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

* * *

**Note:** This is the end of 'Infinity', but I have a sequel going! Just go to my author's profile.

It's titled 'Beyond' and it follows our friends into war against the Mongolians.

Hope you enjoyed, and thank you everyone for reviewing!


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